Shortly after President Trump issued an executive order to expedite submarine mining efforts, the US government received its first permission application. This initiative is championed by notable supporters within the metal industry.
On Tuesday, CEO Gerald Baron was present in Washington for a controversial hearing before the House Committee on Natural Resources. He likened the beginning of this process to a “starting gun” signaling a race to extract minerals like cobalt and nickel from nodules situated 2.5 miles deep on the ocean floor.
Debate erupted among committee members from both parties regarding the environmental implications of this mining practice. The Trump administration indicated it would contemplate permits for mining activities within US jurisdiction and international waters.
Other nations have accused the US of attempting to bypass international law, arguing that the waters designated for submarine mining should come under the governance of an independent international authority.
To date, no commercial submarine mining has been conducted.
California leader Jared Huffman, a ranking Democrat on the committee, criticized both the Metals Company and Trump for advancing undersea mining in “reckless cowboy fashion.” Democrats raised concerns over the financial viability of mining cobalt and nickel, citing major electric vehicle manufacturers’ shift towards alternative battery materials.
“The financial model of the industry is based on overly optimistic assumptions and does not reflect the realities and volatility of the global mineral market,” remarked Oregon Democrat Maxine E. Dexter.
The Metals Company attempted to reassure the committee, arguing that the potential harm to the seabed would outweigh the limited job creation and that accessing these minerals could reduce dependence on Chinese sources. They stated that a decade of extensive environmental studies supports their position.
Trump’s order follows years of delays by international authorities in establishing a regulatory framework for submarine mining. The authorities, established under United Nations auspices decades ago, are likely to miss another deadline this year for finalizing these regulations.
Baron informed the committee that it took him 14 years to draft the mining code, describing it as a “deliberate strategy” to slow undersea mining.
He further claimed that a polymetallic nodule extracted by his company is now on President Trump’s desk in the Oval Office.
According to the US Geological Survey, it is estimated that nodules within the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Pacific contain more nickel, cobalt, and manganese than all terrestrial reserves combined. This proposed mining zone spans half the size of the US between Mexico and Hawaii.
Committee Chair Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, insisted that subsea mining is essential for liberating the US from China’s “supply chain control.”
China has recently placed export restrictions on several rare earth elements, raising concerns that American companies may face shortages in producing advanced electronic devices.
The House Committee also considered a study discussing the impact of submarine mining on the seafloor conducted by Thomas Peacock, a mechanical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, partially funded by metal companies.
Dr. Peacock indicated that there may be countless undiscovered species in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, suggesting that certain areas should be off-limits for mining. However, he noted that the anticipated environmental impacts of nodule mining might not be as severe as speculated.
He specifically minimized the risk of mining causing plumes of sand and debris that could harm seabed life, comparing the fragments to “grains of sand in a fishbowl.”
In attendance with Mr. Baron was the CEO of Impossible Metals, a future deep-sea mining company. Unlike other companies that use vacuum-like extraction technologies along the ocean floor, Impossible Metals claims to have developed machines that can collect nodules selectively without disturbing the seabed.
“Our underwater robots hover to gather mineral-rich nodules from the seabed through AI-guided selective harvesting,” explained Oliver Gunasekara, CEO of Impossible Metals. “We avoid all visible marine life and leave 60% untouched.”
The company has reapplied for permission to conduct operations in US Samoa. Gunasekara noted that their previous applications were rejected during the Biden administration, but with new leadership in both American Samoa and Washington, he is optimistic about gaining approval.
Source: www.nytimes.com
