The Trump administration will approve South32’s $2 billion zinc‑manganese mine
in Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service said, planning to issue a decision on
Tuesday. The project, near the U.S.–Mexico border in the Patagonia Mountains
about 80 km southeast of Tucson, was designated for expedited review by the
Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council and is the first mining project
under USDA to receive accelerated treatment. South32, headquarters in
Australia, says the site contains one of the world’s largest undeveloped zinc
deposits and other minerals critical to steel production and large-format
batteries; full production is targeted for 2029. The company plans to prioritizee
supplying mined copper to U.S. domestic smelters.
