The Calabasas Alliance was formed by a group of concerned residents of Santa Cruz County, Az. The land, water, air, biodiversity, and public health of this region are all being threatened by the Hermosa Project’s mining activity in Patagonia, AZ, and the proposed Manganese Processing Center in Santa Cruz County.

The Region

This area is an exceptionally beautiful and fragile ecosystem of the high desert, including the Sky Islands area of Patagonia, the border region of Nogales, the rural charm of Rio Rico and Kino Springs, the sprawling ranches of Amado, the artist colony of Tubac, the historic missions of Tumacácori/Carmen and the wineries and ranches of Sonoita and Elgin.

It is an important flyway for migrating birds, including several endangered species such as the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Mexican Spotted Owl, and the Southwest Willow Flycatcher. It is also home to the Paton Hummingbird Center in Patagonia. Also found in these wild lands are lesser long nosed bats, ocelots, coyotes, javelinas, white tailed deer, mountain lions and the only jaguars that still exist in the US.

The lakes, rivers and streams are beautiful and precious resources as are the mountains, woodlands, grasslands, and desert habitats. These areas must be preserved to be enjoyed by future generations.

The Threat

The Hermosa Project, owned and operated by Australian mining giant South 32, is a massive undertaking that will span 80 years wreaking havoc on the environment while claiming to be essential to the creation of a domestic supply of "critical minerals" for EV batteries. One of the most important minerals being mined by South32 is Manganese, along with zinc, lead, and silver. The vision is short-sighted and doesn’t take into account the overwhelming toll this mining and processing will have on the environment and the community.

The mining activity will go on all day, every day causing noise pollution, air pollution and contamination from processing, track out and dry stack tailings.

The mine will use more electricity than the rest of the county’s communities combined.

South32 anticipates a minimum of 200 transport truck trips daily, on county roads, each truck carrying 80,000 pounds of ore. The number of trips will increase as production ramps up.

The dewatering of the mountain aquifer will release 6.4 million gallons of water per day into the creek beds. The concern about the contamination of water and wells downstream as well as the long-term use of water is real.

The Hermosa project has also proposed putting its Manganese processing facility in the county. This comes with its own set of environmental problems, not the least of which is public health. Manganese particulates in the air, water and soil can create a public health crisis. Exposure to manganese can cause Manganism, cognitive decline, respiratory disease, and neurological disorders, especially in children where a host of developmental problems have been found.

In addition to the danger to humans is the effect this mining and ore processing will have on the diverse flora and fauna of the area. The migratory paths of birds and mammals may be disrupted. The contamination of soil, air, and water can be devastating to all living things in the area. The habitat destruction and noise pollution caused by the industry will change the very nature of the area. Once these wild creatures, flora and natural places are gone, it will be too late.

The Solution

There is a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and goodwill among the residents of Santa Cruz County. We are looking to create awareness and foster dialogue that will generate sustainable economic growth while preserving the environmental beauty of the region and protecting the health and wellbeing of all the living beings that call this area home. We seek to end environmentally destructive practices, especially mining and ore processing in the region. We cannot mine our way to a greener future. Working together with vision and creativity we can find solutions that are sustainable, environmentally friendly, and economically viable. There is vast potential in this county but if we mine it away, it will be lost forever.