US to auction off sections of water around American Samoa

The US government plans to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa for potential deep-sea mining in an unprecedented move that is expected to draw criticism from many countries.

The area of the water surface planned to be auctioned off covers a total of 33 million acres.

The proposed leasing notice was published on Friday (local time) as US President Donald Trump's administration seeks to expedite mining permits despite growing environmental concerns.

The unilateral US move is also a departure from previous administrations that have respected the rules of the Jamaica-based UN International Seabed Authority, which oversees deep international waters and has been debating mining rules for years.

More than 43 countries have called for a moratorium or ban on deep-sea mining, which scientists have warned could unleash noise, light and suffocating dust storms and affect fragile marine life.

But the US and others are eager to mine the seafloor for copper, iron, zinc and other minerals that are in demand for technology, military use and electric vehicles.

“Critical minerals have become a strategic asset in global competition, and China’s dominance in the supply of many of these materials creates unacceptable risks for America’s energy, defence and manufacturing sectors,” Matt Giacona, acting director of the US Marine Minerals Administration, said in a statement Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Seumalu Elora Raymond, a spokesperson for Fa’asao Amerika Samoa, a community group, said in a statement that the US government’s fast-tracking of the lease sale is “ignoring the voices of the very people whose waters, traditions, and livelihoods are on the line”.

“We will not stand by while an untested industry threatens to destroy American Samoa’s environment and cultural heritage for corporate profit,” she said.

The government of American Samoa, which has banned deep-sea mining in local waters, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Earthjustice, a nonprofit legal organisation, accused the US of bulldozing American Samoan outcry against deep-sea mining.

“The Trump administration continues to bow to this untested, extractive industry and seeks to make American Samoa one of the first test sites,” said Earthjustice attorney J.V. Langkilde.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said in a July environmental assessment report that the area proposed for lease sales has water depths ranging from 1400 to 6000 meters. The area is located 92km from the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

The bureau envisions issuing up to two commercial leases of nearly 17 million acres each, solely for preliminary activities. These would include geophysical surveys, biological sampling and oceanographic measurements.

“Offering large lease areas provides flexibility for environmental and technical exclusions,” the bureau said in its report.

It alternatively proposed issuing five leases covering nearly 7 million acres each. The bureau noted that any future mining would require a submission and its approval of a plan subject to an environmental review.

The report of the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management stated that “some uncertainty remains regarding the potential for indirect or accidental impacts, particularly in deepwater and pelagic zones” near Rose Atoll and several national marine sanctuaries.

It asserted that there are no expected impacts to nearshore environments and no substantial adverse impacts to offshore habitats. The bureau, however, acknowledged data gaps, especially in the area’s deeper waters, “where biodiversity, ecological function, and baseline conditions remain poorly characterised".

The bureau stated in its report that because the US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration regulates US exploration and commercial recovery of minerals.

NOAA announced in January that companies could apply for an exploration license and commercial operations at the same time, scrapping what used to be a two-step process. In April, Trump signed an executive order directing NOAA to expedite the permitting process for seafloor mining.

Meanwhile, the International Seabed Authority has authoriSed exploration licenses for 22 contractors, but it has not allowed any commercial mining.

Much of the ongoing exploration is centREed in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, which covers 4.5 million square kilometres between Hawaii and Mexico. It is occurring at depths ranging from 4000 to 6000 meters.