The U.S. government is preparing to conduct lease sales to auction off blocks of the seabed for deep-sea mining in federal waters of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Alaska.If the lease sales proceed, they would mark a major step toward commercial-scale deep-sea mining, making the U.S. one of the first players in the industry.While many oppose these plans to start mining the deep sea and say the government’s timeline is rushed, others are more supportive.A spokesperson for the U.S. agency managing the sales, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told Mongabay it is pursuing this process in a responsible manner.
This is part 1 of a two-part series examining the U.S.’s efforts to begin deep-sea mining in federal waters. Part 1 explores the process behind proposed lease sales in U.S. federal waters and reactions to those plans. Part 2, to be published soon, will examine the regulations that would govern the industry.
The U.S. agency responsible for overseeing deep-sea mining in federal waters is preparing to auction off seabed blocks within months — a step that could kick-start commercial-scale deep-sea mining and make the U.S. one of the first countries to allow it.
