The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the final Record of Decision for the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Arizona, advancing the Trump administration’s strategy to boost domestic production of critical minerals and reduce reliance on foreign imports.
The $3.3 billion project, proposed by Australia-based South32 Hermosa Inc., will develop mining and processing operations in Santa Cruz County near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The project is expected to create up to 900 direct jobs and thousands of additional indirect employment opportunities, with a target of hiring 80% of its workforce locally.
According to the USDA, the Hermosa project contains one of the world’s largest undeveloped zinc resources, along with manganese and other minerals essential for steel manufacturing, large-scale batteries and modern energy technologies.
