By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
DELEGATES Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI and James C. Moylan of Guam are strongly urging the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to give the people of the Marianas ample time to comment on plans to pursue deep-sea mining in U.S. waters.
A group representing the Refaluwasch population in the CNMI has also expressed its strong opposition to offshore mining or deep-sea mineral extraction in the waters surrounding the Marianas, saying it poses significant environmental, cultural, and socio-economic risks, including irreversible destruction of deep-sea ecosystems.
In a joint letter, King-Hinds and Moylan told BOEM Acting Director Matthew Giacona that they strongly urge the agency to exercise its discretion to extend by another 120 days the period to comment on the Request for Information and Interest, or RFI, for Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore the CNMI.
They said BOEM’s decision to limit the comment, information, and indications-of-interest period to only 30 days “risks undermining our island communities’ ability to provide accurate and comprehensive feedback.” Without an extension, the delegates said, BOEM “seriously risks making a decision without a true understanding of the impact.”
Noting the RFI’s description of the area’s southern boundary as “approximately equidistant between the islands of Guam and Rota,” King-Hinds and Moylan said this means any commercial exploration or exploitation of minerals in the area could have sweeping interterritorial effects.
They said current deep-sea mining technologies pose tremendous risks of disrupting fisheries and marine ecosystems, which could endanger Guam’s and the CNMI’s interconnected economies.
Therefore, King-Hinds and Moylan said, “the voices of our citizens, fishers, scientists, businesses, and local officials must be heard to ensure that any decision is made with full consideration of those who call the Marianas home.” They also requested that BOEM work with the Interior secretary to enter into a coordination and consultation agreement with Guam and the CNMI pursuant to Section 19 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1345). Doing so, they said, will ensure that any potential exploration or exploitation of waters between the islands will receive proper recommendations from officials familiar with the area and help minimize adverse impacts to local residents.
They stressed that coordination and consultation agreements with the governments of the Marianas “are a natural extension of the Trump administration’s rejection of unilateral federal action and would represent a true commitment to ensuring that territorial voices are given meaningful weight in the decision-making process.”
‘Significant risks’
Meanwhile, the URAALI Refaluwasch Association is strongly opposing the plan.
In his email to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gov. David M. Apatang, and other CNMI leaders, the group’s senior adviser and cultural practitioner Melvin LO Faisao said URAALI “respectfully but firmly” opposes any offshore mining or deep-sea mineral extraction in the waters surrounding the Marianas.
These activities, he said, pose significant environmental, cultural, and socio-economic risks, including irreversible destruction of deep-sea ecosystems; widespread sediment plumes affecting coral reefs, fish larvae, and fisheries; noise and vibration impacts disrupting marine mammals and migratory species; toxic chemical releases affecting the marine food chain; degradation of traditional fishing grounds and culturally significant maritime areas; and long-term threats to CNMI livelihoods, tourism, food security, and community well-being.
Given these risks, Faisao said, URAALI strongly urges that “no federal or industry proposal proceed without a rigorous, site-specific EIA, transparent scientific review, and meaningful community consultation.” These measures, he said, are essential to safeguarding the Marianas’ ocean environment and upholding the cultural stewardship responsibilities passed down through generations of Refaluwasch navigators and families.
He said URAALI stands ready to collaborate with both federal and CNMI agencies in support of culturally informed monitoring, data-sharing initiatives, and stakeholder engagement efforts. “I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to share community perspectives or participate in upcoming discussions on this matter,” Faisao said.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
