Deep-sea mining target area moves closer to Guam

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Guam leaders vowed to continue fighting the federal government's plans to lease 69 million acres of seabed near Guam for mining of rare earth minerals.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio reiterated their opposition to deep-sea mining following the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s release of its analysis of public comments and recommendations regarding the potential lease sale of the ocean surrounding Guam and the CNMI.

The bureau recommended doubling the potential lease area to include the seabed west of the archipelago.

The recommended area includes two geographically distinct areas, 

one east and one west of the CNMI. The area east of the CNMI is 35.5 million acres or 6,502 whole or partial blocks and is 128 mi from Saipan and 127 mi from Guam at its closest point. 

The area west of the CNMI is 33.6 million acres, or 6,248 whole or partial blocks, and is 57 mi from Saipan and 46 mi from Guam at its closest point.

"The recommended area located east of the CNMI and the Mariana Trench National Marine Monument is consistent with indications

of interest and prospective seabed mineral regions identified by the 

U.S. Geological Survey in and around the RFI area for ferromanganese crusts and polymetallic nodules," BOEM said.

"The Trump administration recognizes that an overreliance on foreign critical minerals and their derivative products could jeopardize U.S. defense capabilities, infrastructure developmen and technological innovation." Douglas Boren, BOEM regional director, stated in a March 13 memo.

BOEM said the area expansion was driven by indications of interest from 

Several companies responded to the request for information issued last year.

"Indications of interest identified areas of interest in the RFI area and several 

included additional areas west of the CNMI," the bureau said. " Indications of interest and comments identified polymetallic nodules in the RFI area to the east."

In addition to interest in the RFI area, BOEM said there were multiple

expressions of interest  in polymetallic sulfides to the west of the

CNMI.

"In both areas, the primary minerals for commercial development include potential commercially viable quantities of cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese, zinc, rare earth elements, along with other minerals that may prove economically viable to extract and process in the future," BOEM said.

Leon Guerrero said the expansion was "driven by industry interest, not the overwhelming concern about impacts on the environment, biodiversity, fisheries, tourism, public health, national security and regional relations that have been raised by local stakeholders and literally tens of thousands of people around the world."

The commenting period for the bureau's solicitation of interests and information gathered 65,585 submissions, both opposing and supporting deep-sea mining.

The governor's office said it will continue to explore every avenue to ensure that island voices are at the table making decisions, including engaging other jurisdictions affected by BOEM’s rapid actions and pushing to establish a Joint State/Federal Task Force.

“We are disappointed that, in all our attempts to engage with BOEM throughout this process, they have not considered and have ignored the very people who are most affected by their actions. We will show up on every front to make sure that our concerns are heard and that our oceans are protected,” Leon Guerrero said.

“BOEM’s moving ahead with doubling the lease area despite public objections and concerns only demonstrates how much of a flawed process this is. The total disregard for our traditions, livelihoods, and resources is deeply troubling,” Tenorio said.

“BOEM has now doubled down on a course the people of the Marianas have already rejected,” Parkinson said. “This is yet another example of federal agencies treating our region like a sacrifice zone, despite clear and unified opposition from Guam, the CNMI, marine scientists, and local communities.”

“The most offensive part of this process is not just the environmental risk, though that risk is profound. It is the absence of meaningful consent,” Parkinson said. 

“The people of Guam and the CNMI did not ask for this. We did not invite this. We have spoken against this, and yet the federal government continues to move it forward anyway.”