First, American Samoa: Territorial advocates warn Guam, CNMI can be the next target for deep-sea mining

By Jayvee Vallejera

 With the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management poised to decide soon on an application for deep-sea mining in the waters off American Samoa, advocates opposing the initiative hope to build a tidal wave of resistance not just in American Samoa but across all U.S. territories in the Pacific.

Adi Martinez-Roman, co-director of Right to Democracy and co-host of last week's webinar titled “Our Oceans in Peril,” is concerned that deep-sea mining in American Samoa—if the plan succeeds—might set a precedent for other U.S. territories.

She underscored the need to ramp up the conversation on the issue and provide clarity for many who may not understand the implications of deep-sea mining, not just its impact on the environment but also on the cultures and sovereignty of affected areas.

“We can make ripples of change, but together we can get a tidal wave of resilience and work together across territories," said Sabrina Suluai Mahuka, a panelist from American Samoa. "That's what we should be doing: becoming that tidal wave of resilience so that they cannot ignore our concerns anymore."

In August 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a report noting that the outer continental shelves around American Samoa, Guam and CNMI  "may contain an abundance of critical mineral resources that may be of interest for future industry extraction."

BOEM said it was coordinating efforts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey to study the areas.

"Given the increased interest in the OCS around the Pacific island territories, BOEM needs to gather baseline information on archaeological and cultural resources that could be affected by these activities," the bureau stated in the report titled "Maritime Heritage of the U.S. Pacific Islands."

Mahuka, executive director of the American Samoa Resilience Office, pointed out that U.S. territories in the Pacific share the same ocean and face the same climate threats.

The main target of deep-sea mining is polymetallic nodules that are found about 4-6 km beneath the ocean.

“If we can coordinate across territories, we can amplify our voice, and we become much harder to ignore,” she added.

Mahuka is the founder of Finafinau, a non-profit organization focused on youth leadership for environmental conservation.

She noted that proponents of deep-sea mining easily dismiss environmental concerns and focus on the numbers and potential profit. Some pointed out that the federal government can unilaterally decide what to do in American Samoa, which is a non-sovereign American territory.

Mahuka, however, said any decision must take into account the American Samoans, who would be impacted by the deep-sea mining plans.

Based on what is being proposed, Mahuka added, American Samoa is being asked to bear the consequences of the venture, at the risk of disrupting its oceans and its limited natural resources.

“I’m not saying that we don't want to get rich. We want American Samoans to be rich. That would be great, but we also want American Samoa to be safe,” she added.

Mahuka noted that deep-sea mining involves extraction and exploitation, so if American Samoa's waters are the target, then the territory's voice should be heard.

“We are not resisting. We're talking about the legality of boundaries and what's within our rights," Mahuka said. “Do you have our consent? No, you do not have consent."

Stephen Mana’oakamai Johnson, a panelist from Saipan, said American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas bear the burden of colonial rule.

“What we're hoping is that there are intersections among the three territories. There are things we can do together and things that we can learn from one another to address some of these issues,” said Johnson, an assistant professor at Cornell University and acting president of Tano, Tasi, Yan Todo.

Mary Jo Quenga, a fisherwoman and Guam activist, said cross-territorial initiatives would allow U.S. territories to band together and help one another.

“We need to find a way together to make the changes that we want to happen, because right now we are in danger. We are an endangered species, so I just wanted to show up. I'll keep showing up and I'll keep fighting,” she added.

The public comment period on a plan to offer a section of American Samoa’s submerged lands for leasing for deep-sea mining ended on Aug. 15.

Mahuka said the proposed plan received 33,000 comments.

The webinar’s organizing groups, Right to Democracy and America the Beautiful for All Coalition, have launched an online petition opposing deep-sea in American Samoa.

Villagomez said the petition now has 918 signatures, and they hope to get to 1,000.

Mahuka said American Samoa’s leaders have already taken formal action.

Del. Amata Radewagen and Gov. Pula Nikolao Pula have separately submitted their opposition directly to the Department of the Interior. The American Samoa legislature has also introduced resolutions affirming the territory’s stance.

“Our leaders and community, at least a majority of our community, have publicly opposed deep-sea mining,” Mahuka said. “We know that it's an ongoing process. It's not a done deal, but it is a fast-moving deal. And so every day it does count if you want our voices to be heard and to be effective with whatever decisions are made in D.C.”

Mahuka heads American Samoa's Mining Community Engagement Task Force, which is mandated to lead public engagements such as hosting community town halls or online forums and creating informational resources.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is in the process of opening up an area in the Samoa Basin for competitive bidding for deep-sea mining.

The process got started after a California-based company, Impossible Metals, applied to lease the Samoa Basin for deep-sea mining.

Mahuka said that if BOEM allows the venture to push through, the Samoa Basin would be open not just to Impossible Metals, but to other industry players interested in bidding for a lease of the territory’s seabed.

The proposed lease would run for a minimum of 20 years.

Mahuka said the Samoa Basin is still largely unmapped, and so there is no existing comprehensive environmental impact study as of now.

While mentioning a plan to allocate funds for a study, Mahuka noted that the deep-sea ocean science at that scale would require multiple years to complete.

Deep-sea mining has the potential to provide an abundance of critical and rare earth minerals worth trillions.

However, since there are still no deep-sea mining operations at this time, no hard data is available on how the extraction would affect life under the sea.

The main target of deep-sea mining is polymetallic nodules that are found about 4-6 km beneath the ocean. These potato-sized nodules, scattered across thousands of miles underwater, are believed to contain minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese that are critical to modern-day technologies like cell phones and batteries.

President Trump issued an executive order in April directing federal agencies to expedite the permitting process for seabed mineral exploration and extraction.

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