The waters around American Samoa would be opened up for deep-sea mineral extraction, sparking immediate anger
By DANICA COTO /
AP, SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
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The US government plans to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa for potential deep-sea mining in an unprecedented move that is expected to draw criticism from many countries.The area of the water surface planned to be auctioned off covers about 13.4 million hectares. The proposed leasing notice was published on Friday as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to expedite mining permits despite growing environmental concerns.The unilateral US move is a departure from previous administrations that have abided by the rules of the Jamaica-based UN International Seabed Authority, which oversees deep international waters and has been debating mining rules for years.
