'Our ocean is not a commodity:' Guam’s political leaders stand united against deep-sea mining

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Guam’s political leaders have taken a united stand against deep-sea mining, amid the looming expiration of the comment period for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's solicitation of input on a proposal to lease waters near the Northern Mariana Islands.

“Our ocean is not a commodity. It is our lifeline, our heritage, and our responsibility to protect for generations to come,” Gov. Leon Guerrero said after convening leaders to discuss their concerns about the U.S. government's deep-sea mining plan.

The bureau has extended the comment period until Jan. 12, rejecting the 120-day extension Guam and CNMI leaders had requested.

Lt. Gov. Joshua said the 30-day extension is not enough.

However, the bureau said "the 30-day extension was determined to be a reasonable timeframe to allow for additional public input while maintaining progress in the early stages of the planning process."

"BOEM recognizes the importance of meaningful public engagement and values the input of territorial governments, stakeholders and communities," John Romero, public affairs officer for the bureau, said in an email to the Pacific Island Times.

"The RFI is not a decision to lease, but rather an initial step to gather information and assess interest. BOEM remains committed to ongoing consultation and coordination with CNMI and Guam leadership throughout the multi-step leasing process, which includes further opportunities for public comment and environmental review," Romero said.  

As of Dec. 15, the bureau has received over 880 public comments in response to the RFI.

"These comments reflect a wide range of perspectives, including environmental, cultural, scientific and industry viewpoints. BOEM continues to review all submissions carefully and encourages additional feedback before the extended deadline," Romero said.

In Adelup, the governor said Guam "will not support any action that risks irreversible harm to our waters without clear science, meaningful consultation and respect for our island communities."

Tenorio said leaders need to make a collective assertion of Guam's position and "to work together to prevent future damage to our communities.”

Guam leaders agreed that until there is more concrete information about the impacts of mining activities, they remain opposed to commercial leasing.

They expressed concern that the federal government is moving too quickly to proceed with natural resource exploitation without taking the necessary precautions.

“Because there are many things to be understood, like what will be happening, what should we expect, and what will be expected, exacerbated by the limited time provided for input, I join the governor, our congressional representative, and our brothers and sisters from the CNMI and American Samoa in opposing the deep sea mining expedition as proposed by BOEM,” Speaker Frank Blas Jr. said

“I am committed to working constructively with our federal partners on this issue in the best interest of our people," Guam Del. James Moylan said.

"A One Guam approach ensures that any consideration of deep-sea mining includes meaningful engagement with local leadership and the communities who rely on these waters, while allowing sufficient time for scientific review, public input, and intergovernmental coordination before any actions move,” he added.

“When the issue is as important as the health of our ocean and sea life, Guam's people deserve their leaders to speak with one voice. This policy will cause impacts for generations to come, a concern that has rightly united Adelup, our delegate to Congress, and the legislature. That's true servant leadership in action,” Sen. Tina Muña Barnes said.

The current comment deadline is Jan. 12, 2026.

Members of the public may submit their comments through the following methods:

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: Visit regulations.gov.In the search box at the top of the webpage, enter BOEM-2025-0351, then click “Search.” Follow the online instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials.

2. By Mail:Bureau of Ocean Energy ManagementPacific Region, Office of Strategic Resources760 Paseo Camarillo (CM 102)Camarillo, California 93010

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