In recent weeks, city and county officials have met several times at public forums to discuss upcoming mines. So far, the Nogales City Council, along with the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, continue to voice their support for the project, citing its role as a potential catalyst for economic development.

“Over the long term, we are confident that we will be able to bring more than 80% of our workforce from here in Santa Cruz County,” Lisner told county supervisors at a meeting last Tuesday. I was.

South32 sees mining as a major step in making electric vehicles.

But the project is also met with skepticism by environmental advocates and property owners in eastern Santa Cruz County. At the county supervisors’ meeting last Tuesday, Carolyn Shaffer, a board member of the Patagonia Regional Resources Alliance, raised a number of concerns, including local water supplies and upcoming power lines.

“Minerals in the Patagonian Mountains will help humans move away from fossil fuels,” Schaefer said in a public call on Tuesday. It has to be about protecting biologically diverse areas.”

Here’s an overview of what community members can expect from the mine in the coming months, and what’s still unclear.

At the peak of operations, the Hermosa project will directly employ 800 to 900 people, Lissner said.

However, peak operations won’t start for another few years. Active mining is expected to start in 2027. Risner spoke with county supervisors last Tuesday to provide a partial breakdown of positions open at the mine. For zinc mining in particular, Risner estimates that the project will require about 670 employees. His 312 people, less than half the number of employees, will be engaged in mining operations. Approximately 185 employees will be engaged in maintenance and site services, and approximately 80 employees in mineral processing. A small group of employees work in management positions such as supply chain management, technical services, and human resources.

The mine will also work on manganese extraction, but Risner did not disclose the number of jobs involved in manganese development.

South32 has already provided a grant to Technolochicas. Technolochicas is a program that encourages science, technology, engineering and mathematics for girls in local schools.

Speaking with supervisors on Tuesday, Risner referred to the program and added that it was important to “move forward” with other workforce strategies.

“Partnering and working together on local STEM programs will be very important,” says Risner. “We have a lot of roles based on engineering and science.”

Meanwhile, other agencies such as the Mexican Consulate and the Nogales Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce promote local and regional employment strategies. Later this week, both organizations will host a bilateral summit for workforce development at the county complex.

While the summit isn’t specifically focused on South 32, Chamber of Commerce member and former mining company executive Greg Lucero highlighted the mine’s presence at a council meeting last month.

“Sonora is taking a bold step in the electric vehicle and semiconductor industries.

For now, Risner said the Hermosa project is awaiting the results of a feasibility study for a zinc mining operation. The results are expected “later this year,” he said.

As for manganese, Risner said the company has already extracted and investigated a small amount of the mineral, which is a common material used in electric vehicle batteries.

According to U.S. Geological Survey data, in recent years most manganese ores have been mined in Gabon and South Africa. It will then be processed in China, Risner noted.

“We can process and produce the final battery grade product here in Santa Cruz County,” Risner said last week. “This essentially replaces the Chinese supply chain.”

Ongoing projects will come as the federal government pledges support for similar efforts. Last spring, the Biden administration passed the Defense Production Act to encourage domestic mining projects for high-capacity batteries.

According to Risner, the Hermosa Project reached another milestone this week. Employees have begun building a mining shaft that extends 2,800 feet (more than half a mile) into the earth.

If that work continues, Risner said, “Obviously we can expect more jobs on the ground.”

Meanwhile, many mining-related projects are being developed that affect the local population.

South32 continues to fund electromagnetic transmission lines to be built by UniSource Energy Services. Transmission lines that power mines raise considerable questions among community members, including health concerns, environmental impacts, and potential negative impacts on property values.

In January, UniSource announced preferred routes for transmission lines. The route connects from the Ruby Road switch yard in Rio Rico and extends 20 miles (20 miles) east, traversing some northern areas of the Coronado National Forest between the border and state highways. Follow 82 along Flux Canyon Road. And about three weeks ago, Arizona’s Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Commission voted to grant the project an environmental compatibility certificate.

South32 is also building roads for the large volume of trucks expected to cross the area. The company is currently reinforcing Hershaw Road, which will result in a detour of public transport until the end of September. Vehicles then take the short road from Hershaw to the Cross Creek connector.

After that, long-term roads will be built. Initially, South32 proposed building a route through the Flax Canyon area south of Patagonia, Risner said.

Since then, South 32 has “received a lot of feedback from Flux Canyon[residents]and other residents,” he said.

As a result, South 32 now touts another route that crosses SR 82 closer to Nogales, rather than the Patagonia region.

Speaking at a county meeting last Tuesday, Risner said the company is still seeking feedback on the proposed alternate route. Click here for the online survey.