Trump administration takes another step toward mining on the high seas

Last April, The Metals Company spurned the ISA – the body most countries view as the rightful regulator of mining on the high seas – when the firm announced it had applied for unilateral permission from the Trump administration to explore and mine areas of the Pacific beyond national jurisdiction.

We’ve since heard little about it from the U.S. government.

Instead, the Trump administration has appeared more focused on opening up federally controlled waters for mining near American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and, most recently, Virginia.

But in late December, NOAA posted a notice in the Federal Register, reminding everyone that the U.S. is indeed still eyeing critical minerals from the high seas. The note includes partially redacted versions of The Metals Company’s two exploration applications. You can view those here and here. NOAA also invited public comment on the applications, including in the form of two virtual public hearings on January 27th and 28th. (To attend the hearings, you must register by 5pm EST on January 21st.)

The hearings should be a useful barometer of how the public is thinking about the potential risks and rewards of deep seabed mining. Until now, most media coverage of seabed mining has focused on a small number of mining companies and environmental organizations. I’m curious to see whether new groups, such as data cable operators, show up with opinions.

In addition to its exploration applications, The Metals Company has also applied for a commercial recovery permit. NOAA hasn’t requested public input on that one yet.

In other news…

Japan has officially begun test mining for rare earths in the easternmost reaches of the country’s exclusive economic zone. You can read the Spotlight’s coverage of the project here, plus our deep dive into how Japan came to control that patch of the Pacific in the first place.