The US Government's Announcement
The United States government has taken a significant step towards launching a deep-sea mining industry, starting in the waters of American Samoa, despite public opposition. On July 17, the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), a new US agency formed by the merger of the Bureau of Ocean Energy and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, announced its intention to hold a lease sale for seafloor mining on November 19 in Camarillo, California.
The MMA also stated that the lease proposal "does not guarantee that a lease sale will be held" or that "exploration or collection activities will occur if the MMA moves forward with the sale". However, opponents see the proposal as a major step towards commercial deep-sea mining — an industry that has been widely criticized for its potential impacts on marine ecosystems.
Why This Matters
If the lease sale goes ahead, the proposal indicates that companies will be able to secure 20-year leases in nearly 127,500 square kilometers (approximately 49,000 square miles) of seafloor in the ocean surrounding American Samoa, a US territory in the Pacific. The minimum bid for each of the two lease areas will be $3 million, and royalties in the 11th year of the lease will be $1.25 per acre and will increase over time.
The lease sale itself will not be open to the public, but will be livestreamed, according to the announcement. The MMA indicated that the Governor of American Samoa will have 60 days to comment on the proposed lease sale.
The Mechanism Behind Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining involves the extraction of minerals and resources from the seafloor, often in areas where the water is too deep for humans to dive. This can be done using specialized equipment, such as dredges and suction devices, which can cause significant damage to the marine ecosystem.
The primary target minerals for deep-sea mining include copper, zinc, silver, and gold, which are found in hydrothermal deposits, such as submarine mountains and abyssal plains. However, the extraction of these minerals can have significant impacts on marine ecosystems, including habitat destruction, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
Broader Context
Deep-sea mining is not a new phenomenon, but it has gained attention in recent years due to the increasing demand for minerals and resources. The deep-sea mining industry has been promoted as a way to meet this demand in a more sustainable way than land-based mining, but many experts and environmentalists question this claim.
Deep-sea mining has been compared to land-based mining in terms of environmental impacts, but it also presents unique challenges, such as the difficulty of monitoring and regulating mining activities in deep waters. Additionally, deep-sea mining can have significant impacts on coastal communities and local economies, especially if it is not done in a responsible and sustainable manner.
What's Next
The proposed lease sale by the MMA is a significant step towards commercial deep-sea mining in the US, but there are still many uncertainties and challenges to be overcome. Opponents of deep-sea mining argue that the industry is not ready to operate in a sustainable and responsible manner, and that the environmental and social impacts of deep-sea mining are not yet fully understood.
As the MMA moves forward with the proposed lease sale, it is essential that regulators, companies, and affected communities work together to ensure that deep-sea mining is done in a responsible and sustainable way, with a clear focus on protecting the environment and local communities.
Source / Reference
This article was originally published on Mongabay.