Apatang urges public to respond to RFI as seabed mining talks heat up 

11/19/2025 - Discussions over potential seabed mining in the CNMI are intensifying after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a Request for Information and Interest—its first step toward a possible lease sale for minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore of the Commonwealth.

Gov. David M. Apatang urged the public to respond to the RFI, stressing the importance of broad community participation.

He said meaningful engagement will ensure that the voices and interests of the people of the CNMI are considered in any federal actions related to seabed mineral exploration or development.

“This is a matter of great significance to the Commonwealth,” he said. “We encourage everyone—citizens, community organizations, traditional leaders, and government agencies—to review the information carefully and provide thoughtful comments. Our collective input will help guide how these discussions move forward and ensure that the interests of the CNMI are protected.”

Apatang reiterated that the CNMI supports dialogue that promotes sustainable development and environmental stewardship. “Our administration remains committed to transparency, scientific understanding, and community involvement in all discussions related to our ocean resources.”

Meanwhile, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress is also urging public engagement after BOEM opened the 30-day RFI for potential deep-sea mineral leasing in the CNMI’s outer continental shelf.

In a LinkedIn post, Angelo Villagomez said the proposal raises serious environmental, cultural, and geopolitical concerns for the Indigenous peoples of the Marianas, who would bear the brunt of any damage from seabed mining.

“This exploitation violates the dignity and self-determination of Chamorros, Refaluwasch, and all people who call our islands home. In American Samoa, Impossible Metals offered a paltry 1% profit share to the local community, while the people would be burdened with 100% of the environmental damage, forever,” he said.

Villagomez highlighted several points against seabed mining: the likelihood of permanent harm to fragile deep-ocean ecosystems; risks from sediment plumes and toxic discharge; and new scientific findings that mining waste could reduce food availability for marine life.

“Deep-sea mining in this region would target hydrothermal vent deposits and cobalt-rich seamounts, both of which have significant scientific and cultural value. Cobalt-rich seamounts also provide essential nursery and foraging grounds for many important commercial and subsistence fisheries,” he said.

He added that vent and seamount mining is even less viable than nodule mining, and no U.S.-based company is currently investing in technologies needed to exploit these resources.

Villagomez also framed the initiative within what he described as growing ocean militarization, noting that U.S. officials increasingly tie seabed minerals to defense manufacturing—even though only four of the 60 U.S.-designated critical minerals are associated with deep-sea extraction, and two of those are already abundant or oversupplied.

Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Sylvan Igisomar, DLNR Coral Reef Restoration and Response coordinator Kalani Regis, and Friends of the Mariana Trench chair and Right to Democracy fellow Sheila Babauta also discussed seabed mining during a KKMP radio interview last Nov. 18.

Igisomar said Apatang has already engaged the federal government and has instructed his team to prepare a request for an extension to the 30-day RFI, currently set to expire on Dec. 12, 2025.

Still, he acknowledged seabed mining could offer economic opportunities at a time when the Commonwealth is struggling financially.

“Something that we are very conscious of is that we are in deep trouble with our economy, and we are looking at what’s available out there. So we’re open to having a conversation and looking at what could be,” he said, noting that in American Samoa, seabed mining has been touted as a potential $1-trillion industry.

Babauta, however, compared the potential harms of seabed mining to those of the failed casino industry in the CNMI.

“When it comes to a large industry being introduced in our small community—and deep-sea mining is a huge industry that hasn’t even been able to be implemented in larger nations with the enforcement capacity, job creation capacity, and environmental protections—I really want us to remember our own capacity,” she said. “We need to be honest about what we as a people can accommodate, and what our island, our lands, and our waters can accommodate.”

She added that the CNMI must distinguish between long-term and short-term economic gains.

“Deep-sea mining at this time, because of the lack of technology and the ongoing research, cannot promise economic gain for any community. And that is something the American Samoans have been learning quickly, too. So without that economic promise, what exactly are we sacrificing? And how long will this negative impact last? Because deep-sea mining can cause irreversible damage—irreversible.”

Regis said American Samoa’s deep-sea mining debate dates back to early 2024, when residents reported weeks of sulfuric odors and frequent tremors.

Concerned about a possible volcanic threat, the territory asked the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate. USGS confirmed the presence of hydrothermal vents and a field of polymetallic nodules—and released the findings publicly without American Samoa’s consent.

That disclosure triggered immediate interest from deep-sea mining companies, which began lobbying local leaders for access and exploratory licenses.

“And it was just different politicians getting, you know, wined and dined to warm them up to this idea that you can benefit,” Regis said.

Caught off guard, the territorial government has approached the federal RFI with caution, stressing the need to fully understand the implications before making any commitments.

Regis said the CNMI should learn from American Samoa’s experience, saying, “Let’s put the cart before the horse and save the jobs, the economic benefits, and all these things.”

Report by Mark Rabago