Patagonia, Arizona (KVOA) – Ken Morrow loves the charming, small, quiet community of Patagonia. He enjoys seeing how popular it is with visitors, but notices another not-so-pleasant guest.

“There’s a lot of heavy trucks going through,” Morrow said.

He drives on Highway 82 and is concerned to see more and more commercial trucks driving in and out of scenic Highway 83.

Highway 83 is considered one of the most beautiful drives in Arizona.

Morrow worries about too many tourists, cyclists, campers and a combination of all trucks.

“Considering all the cars and commercial trucks that are out here right now, this little old highway is tough to handle,” he said.

He told News 4 Tucson Investigators that many trucks drive to and from the Hermosa mine in the Patagonian Mountains. This is a controversial project in the area operated by Australian company South32, which is slated to mine various minerals that will be used to power the vehicle. It is not yet fully operational and production is expected to increase over the next few years.

“This is all a significant increase towards eventual full production, with an average of one ore truck driving on Highway 82-83 to Tucson every 15 minutes,” he explains. Did.

Dr. Marion Sears lives part-time in Sonoita and travels between the area and Maine. He believes all traffic on highways is a recipe for disaster.

“These highways need to be better managed, and if we don’t manage the scenic highways better, we will certainly have to report that they are not as good as they used to be,” Dr. Sears said. I was.

He was referring to a severe semi-truck crash on Interstate 10 east of Tucson a few weeks ago that killed the driver and caused a hazmat scare. This forced several local communities to evacuate and closed interstates for more than 24 hours.

Dr. Sears said he fears toxic substances could be carried to and from the mine as production increases, and worries about what could happen if there is a crash. .

“I have no doubt that it will happen. These roads weren’t designed this way, so something is going to happen,” he said.

Santa Cruz County Public Works Commissioner and Deputy County Administrator Jesus Valdes said there is little the county can do because the roads are being handled by ADOT.

“It is currently difficult to assess the impact of mine traffic without traffic analysis,” says Valdez.

“Are you going to do a traffic analysis?” Chief Investigative Reporter Corus Nylander asked.

“That’s what South32 has to do,” Valdez replied.

ADOT has told N4T investigators that South 32 must apply for a permit to access the national highway, which requires a traffic analysis, but has so far not applied for a permit.

N4T investigators contacted South32 who sent the following statement:

“Currently, there is no mining or mineral processing at Hermosa and only a limited number of trucks are visiting the site in accordance with traffic management plans and local regulations.

We continue to evaluate options for future design and operations at Hermosa, including the possibility of using battery-powered trucks to transport minerals from the site to reduce noise and emissions. .

We plan to work with Santa Cruz County officials to build a temporary access road outside Patagonia town limits.

Subject to relevant approvals, construction of a permanent access road to the site in the future, not only to allow trucks to bypass Patagonia, but also to significantly reduce truck traffic on State Routes 82 and 83 intend to do something.

We work closely with independent community advisory boards, local officials, and other stakeholders to responsibly promote projects in ways that benefit local communities for current and future generations. is being developed.

Background:

• The Hazmat incident on Interstate 10 in Tucson in February was not related to Hermosa.
• Current activity at Hermosa is limited to construction and exploration, so trucks visiting the site primarily transport equipment and fuel.
• Our Sites have strict procedures for handling hazardous materials and our transportation affiliates are required to comply with governmental regulations and safety protocols related to the transportation of hazardous materials.
• Hermosa has the potential to sustainably produce minerals critical to the transition to a low-carbon future, secure a critical mineral supply chain for North American markets, and bring major new jobs and investment to southern Arizona. . ”

For Ken Morrow, he wants his paradise to retain its charm.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s busy, but let’s stay safe and let’s all work together,” he said.

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