Plans for US deep sea mining include the waters of the Northern Mariana Islands; Request for Information and Interest issued

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced in a Nov. 10 release in Washington, D.C. “key developments in its offshore critical minerals planning, with the completion of Area Identification offshore American Samoa and the release of a Request for Information and Interest for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.” 

According to the bureau, “These actions mark significant progress in BOEM’s efforts to responsibly evaluate leasing opportunities for critical minerals on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf, supporting U.S. manufacturing, national security, and economic resilience.” 

The release further said, “These efforts further the directives in President Trump’s April 2025 Executive Order 14285, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources,” which call for the rapid development of domestic capabilities for the exploration, characterization, collection, and processing of seabed mineral resources through streamlined permitting without compromising environmental and transparency standards.” 

Matthew Giacona, acting director of the bureau, said, “The Pacific Outer Continental Shelf holds vast potential for critical minerals that power American manufacturing and defense technology. These resources are key to ensuring the United States is not reliant on China and other nations for its critical minerals needs.” Giacona further said, “These initial steps — inviting public input in Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and completing Area Identification offshore American Samoa — ensure that BOEM’s decision-making is locally informed, environmentally sound, and done in a scientific manner." 

According to the bureau’s release, “The CNMI RFI will publish in the Federal Register on Nov. 12, 2025, opening a 30-day public comment period that will close on Dec. 12, 2025. The RFI does not constitute a decision to hold a lease sale but rather invites and encourages input from territorial and local governments, Indigenous communities, industry, ocean users and the public. Input will help inform BOEM on mineral resource potential, areas of environmental or cultural significance and traditional uses and possible conflicts with maritime, fishing or other ocean activities. 

 “After the comment period closes, BOEM will evaluate the information received and determine whether to proceed to the next phase — such as Area Identification, a Proposed Leasing Notice or a Final Leasing Notice. Any potential future lease sale would undergo full environmental review under NEPA and comply with all applicable federal laws.” 

For American Samoa, the bureau published the Request for Information in the Federal Register on June 16. The original 30 day comment period was extended for an additional 30 days at the request of the governor of American Samoa.  

In a release to the Journal on the same date, David Derrick, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said,  

“It’s outrageous that the Trump administration is ramming through seabed mining, threatening marine wildlife, fisheries and the cultural traditions of the people of the Pacific islands.” Derrick also said, “These deep-sea wildlands are so complex that we still don’t fully understand them, yet Trump officials are mapping out how to divide them up to sell for profit. This proposal belongs on the shelf, not the sea floor.”  

President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. has been a vocal opponent of deep-sea mining. According to Journal files, Whipps spoke at the third U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, France as both president of Palau and chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States. He urged world leaders to move from symbolic gestures to concrete action. “We’ve done our part,” he said, citing Palau’s moves to ban bottom trawling, deep-sea mining, and preserve more than half of its exclusive economic zone as a marine sanctuary. See Pacific leaders push for global leadership, climate justice at UNOC3 in France for further information. 
The waters of the Mariana Islands continuously host U.S. military exercises, also involving partner nations. See US military exercise in Guam with allied nations begins. 

The subject of deep sea mining is a developing story. mbj