The Office of the Governor released photos of the meeting on Feb. 26 CHamoru Standard Time with four representatives of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. U.S. Department of the Interior were also in attendance, as BOEM is part of DOI.
BOEM officials at a meeting with GovGuam. Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor of Guam
Also shared with the Journal was the presentation shown at the meeting. That is attached here, given the wide interest in the topic of deep-sea mining in the waters of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The release gave some comments from Lt. Governor Joshua F. Tenorio who spoke as acting governor. Remarks by the BOEM visitors were summarized. According to the release, “federal officials discussed potential economic benefits to Guam” and “suggested that actual mining activity may still be years away.”
Tenorio said, “I told them we’re opposed to and we’re very concerned with these proposals to streamline the permitting process,” according to a release the same day. “And that we’re not interested in being guinea pigs out here. And that matters of technology and environmental consequence are very high and very top of concern,” he said.
Tenorio said in the release that no clear coordination plan was presented by BOEM on national defense operations or commercial shipping protections.
This update also contains a link to the Journal’s most recent coverage, which clarifies that while Guam and the NMI are not included in a list of areas for oil and gas exploration licensing, the waters of the Mariana Islands are open to licensing applications for deep-sea mining. Find that story and links to previous exclusive coverage here us-bureau-rolls-back-protections-deep-sea-mining-include-those-mariana-islands
The presentation also shows ongoing and planned U.S. Pacific seabed mineral studies, and what are defined as “next steps.” Also mapped are prospective areas of higher mineral concentrations, and planned expeditions for mapping.
According to Carlotta Leon-Guerrero, chief advisor for military and regional affairs in the Office of the Governor of Guam, NMI officials did not attend remotely. She said that officials from BOEM and DOI did not mention visiting Guam’s seashores but did mention they have been to Guam several times.
Present were Douglas Boren, Pacific Region director of BOEM, Jeremy Potter, Pacific Studies chief and a biologist, Natalie Dayal, project coordinator, and Justin Rhee, special advisor to the Office of Insular Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. mbj
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