Residents urge action on water, air and wildlife as supervisors enter executive session on South 32 Hermosa project

Santa Cruz County supervisors recessed into executive session to seek legal advice on the South 32 Hermosa Project Community Protection Agreement after several residents and community advocates raised concerns about groundwater depletion, air quality and wildlife habitat during public comment. The motion to move into executive session cited Arizona Revised Statutes 38-431.03(A)(3) for consultation with legal counsel on the matter.

Why it matters: Residents described receiving certified letters from the project or related entities and said those notices warned of falling water tables and potential long-term dewatering. Speakers said those developments threaten private wells, local wildlife, recreation and property values in Patagonia-area neighborhoods and along Patagonia Lake.

At the meeting, multiple speakers tied their complaints to the Hermosa mine proposal and related infrastructure. “We came to this area looking for peace and quiet,” said Robert Paulson, a Patagonia Ranch…