Board authorizes submission of FEIS response on South 32 Hermosa project after public input

Santa Cruz County supervisors voted April 15 to authorize submission of the county’s response to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the South 32 Hermosa Critical Minerals project and allowed staff to incorporate public and supervisor comments before the April 20 filing deadline. The motion passed after a morning public information session and a brief board discussion.

County staff told the board that an 08:30 public meeting earlier that morning produced "really good comments" and a "really good discussion," and asked the board to permit adjustments to the response letter before sending it. "The letter must we want to submit the letter by Friday, April 20," staff said, asking for authority to make edits based on input.

Supervisor Fanning moved that the county submit its FEIS response based on material already in the county record and take into account the public input from the morning meeting; the motion was seconded and carried with the full board in favor. Chair presided over the vote and thanked staff and community members for attending and providing comments.

Public commenters urged reopening permits and fuller review. "This permit, therefore, must be reopened due to omitted material facts," said Chris Verkhofen during public comment, criticizing the ADEQ and Coronado National Forest analyses and urging EPA oversight. Wendy Islas urged the board to request independent water and air-quality testing in the county's FEIS comments and to consider a resolution opposing a battery-grade manganese facility in the county.

Staff clarified scope limits for the county response: the county may comment on issues addressed in the DEIS/FEIS record and incorporate community concerns into its formal response, but it cannot add new substantive analyses outside the FEIS record. Board members confirmed they could submit edits and additional points for inclusion.

The board directed staff to proceed with the submission and to incorporate reasonable clarifications raised by supervisors and the public; staff said they preferred to file before the final-day deadline to avoid last-minute submission risks. The county's finalized FEIS response letter was to be submitted by staff on or before April 20, 2026.

Next steps: staff will finalize the letter with agreed edits and file the county’s response by the target date. Any follow-up or requests for additional review will be routed through staff and legal as needed.