‘We’re not interested in being guinea pigs out here;" Guam bucks US plans to accelerate deep-sea mining

Joshua Tenorio

By Jayvee Vallejera

Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio did not mince words in his meeting this week with visiting Department of the Interior officials, telling them that Guam opposes any proposal to shortcut the permitting process for seabed mining in the region.

Tenorio reiterated that Guam's top concerns are environmental impact and removing local leaders from the decision-making process is not acceptable.

Tenorio, flanked by Cabinet leaders and nearly two dozen regulatory experts, conveyed Guam’s position on seabed mining during the nearly two-hour meeting Thursday with DOI officials and representatives of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management at the Office of the Governor.

“I told them we’re opposed to and we’re very concerned with these proposals to streamline the permitting process,” Tenorio said. “And that we’re not interested in being guinea pigs out here. And that matters of technology and environmental consequence are very high and very top of concern.”

A small group of protesters staged a demonstration outside the Office of the Governor in Adelup, holding up placards opposing seabed mining in the region and chanting “Shame on You” as federal officials left the building.

John Ryan, spokesman for the Office of the Governor of Guam, said they were informed that similar meetings will be taking place in the CNMI. 

Ryan said that Thursday’s meeting was organized by BOEM and the Office of the Governor of Guam simply provided the venue, articulated Guam’s concerns and called for more public engagement and outreach.

A news release from the Office of the Governor of Guam quoted Tenorio as saying that taking the meeting was necessary because Guam “must use every opportunity to make its case” and that Guam’s voice “must be unmistakable.”

Tenorio made clear that GovGuam opposes both the shortened review timeline and the removal of formal notification requirements to Guam’s elected leadership.

“We were very direct,” Tenorio said. “We do not support compressing review timelines or weakening notification safeguards to territorial leaders. Decisions of this magnitude—with generational consequences—cannot move forward without full transparency and meaningful engagement with the people most affected.”

Tenorio emphasized that GovGuam has consistently called for clear periods of public engagement, including town halls and community consultation, before any exploration or mining activity is authorized.

“This is not simply a regulatory matter,” he stated. “It is a question of environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, economic security, and national defense interests in the Western Pacific.”

While federal officials discussed potential economic benefits to Guam, Tenorio raised a critical legal concern: there is no mechanism right now that would allow Guam to share in any revenue the federal government earns from undersea mining in federal waters.

“We asked directly what statutory authority exists to provide revenue sharing for Guam,” Tenorio said. “At this time, there is no identified federal revenue-sharing framework that guarantees economic benefit to our island.”

BOEM representatives at the meeting made a presentation on the status of current efforts on seabed mining in the region, but Tenorio said no new environmental data was presented to ease previous concerns about sediment plumes, ecosystem disruption, fisheries impacts, and long-term marine habitat degradation.

“We did not receive new scientific analysis that resolves the environmental risks we’ve already articulated,” Tenorio said.

Although federal representatives suggested that actual mining activity may still be years away, GovGuam expressed concern that no binding safeguard currently ensures that exploration does not transition into accelerated extraction without adequate local consultation.

“‘Years away’ is not a guarantee,” Tenorio said. “We have seen how quickly federal policy priorities can shift.”

Tenorio further questioned whether federal planners had coordinated with the Department of Defense regarding operational impacts in a region of increasing strategic military activity, or with the Port Authority of Guam to ensure shipping lanes and maritime commerce would be unaffected.

“No clear coordination plan was presented addressing national defense operations or commercial shipping protections,” Tenorio said.

Tenorio reiterated that GovGuam supports innovation and responsible economic opportunity, but not at the expense of environmental security or territorial sovereignty.

“We are not opposed to progress,” Tenorio said. “But progress must include us, protect us, and benefit us. And until that is clear, we will continue to say: ‘Guam will not be anyone’s experiment.’”

When asked to describe the BOEM officials’ responses to Tenorio's concerns, Ryan said they “listened attentively.”

“While the conversation was direct, each party was cordial and professional,” he added.

As to how Tenorio’s comments will impact the BOEM’s decision-making process on the proposed deep-sea mining in Marianas waters, Ryan said that only time will tell, but the administration’s reaction to the proposal is well known and has not changed. 

He said the Guam team came into the meeting with the same questions and others that have since been raised since the news of plans to dig rare earth minerals from the bottom of the oceans first came to light.

Ryan said there be more talks down the line, whether at the agency and regulatory level or via direct public engagement.

Representing the DOI and BOEM at the meeting were Douglas Boren, Pacific regional director, BOEM; Jeremy Potter, Pacific Studies chief (biologist); Natalie Dayal, project coordinator; and Justin Rhee, special advisor, Office of Insular Affairs.

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