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. The rule, which President Donald Trump called for in an executive order last year, aims to accelerate permitting for deep-sea mining companies like Vancouver, British Columbia-based The Metals Co., which has applied for permits through NOAA.
NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs asserted 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.
