By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang and Lt. Gov. Dennis James Mendiola are urging members of the community to share their input on the federal government’s plan to lease the continental shelf surrounding the CNMI for seabed mining.
To promote transparency and public engagement, the Office of the Governor will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, at 5 p.m. at the Governor Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. The meeting will provide information and receive community input regarding the request for information or RFI published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The RFI is an initial step to inform the public of a potential future lease sale for critical minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore the CNMI.
BOEM initially set the deadline for public comment as Dec. 12, 2025, but last week, it extended the comment period to 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 12, 2026.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the governor and lieutenant governor encouraged the public to participate in the federal comment process for the RFI. Members of the public may submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov/ by searching BOEM-2025-0351, or by mail to: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific Region, Office of Strategic Resources.
During a press conference on Capital Hill the same day, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality emphasized the importance of public participation. “It is very important for us to be part of this process and speak up here in the Marianas,” the agency said. The town hall meeting will give attendees an opportunity to comment on the seabed mining plan and receive guidance on how to submit their comments online.
The public will also have the chance to watch a video provided by BOEM on seabed mining.
For his part, Office of the Governor Chief of Staff Henry S. Hofschneider said the governor wants to ensure that everyone understands that the CNMI government is focused on reviewing the process itself. “We are not advocating for the end product, and that’s the lease sale,” he 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.
