The Trump administration is poised to allow companies to mine the deep seas beyond U.S. jurisdiction, setting up a clash with countries and international regulators still hammering out global rules.
NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is slated to publish a 113-page regulation in the Federal Register on Wednesday, at which time language takes effect.
NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs asserts that his agency is empowered under an obscure federal law from the 1980s — the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, or DSHMRA — to issue licenses for exploration and commercial recovery of seabed minerals beyond U.S. waters.
Under the new consolidated process, companies can apply for exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits at the same time, and in some cases may undergo a combined environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
