THE Trump administration moved on Wednesday to accelerate US deep-sea mineral exploration by streamlining permitting for companies pursuing critical resources in international waters, despite anticipated environmental and legal challenges, said Reuters.
A newly finalised National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rule consolidates licensing and permitting into a single, shortened review process, said the newswire citing a government release.
The initiative follows President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at strengthening deep-sea mining capabilities as part of efforts to counter China’s dominance of critical metals supply, Reuters said.
Canadian miner The Metals Company began seeking such exploration licences last year, advancing its ambitions to become the first company securing approval for deep-sea mineral development.
Sections of the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere are believed to hold substantial deposits of polymetallic nodules – potato-shaped rocks containing nickel, copper and cobalt essential for electric vehicles and electronics.
The move could trigger a US-led rush for seabed resources before global standards governing the relatively nascent mining techniques are established.
The International Seabed Authority, created under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which Washington has not ratified, has spent years considering standards for deep-sea mining in international waters without finalising them.
Trump’s order directed his administration to expedite permits under the Deep Seabed Hard Minerals Resource Act of 1980 and establish processes for issuing permits along the United States Outer Continental Shelf.
Environmental groups have urged bans on such activities, warning of irreversible biodiversity loss, said Reuters.
