CNMI and Guam governors demand halt to deep-sea mining

The governors of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam have joined forces, issuing a strong call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining activities in the Marianas region. This unified stance, articulated in a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, also demands significant reforms within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The governors argue that the current processes governing the potential leasing of minerals offshore CNMI and adjacent to Guam are critically flawed.

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The current speed of a process that could ultimately lead to commercial extraction activities in waters that sustain our fisheries, cultural practices, and regional biodiversity is deeply alarming.

Governors David Apatang and Lou Leon Guerrero express deep alarm at the speed at which a process that could lead to commercial extraction is moving forward. They highlight that BOEM's analysis of public comments, released on March 18, 2026, largely disregarded overwhelming opposition rooted in environmental, ecological, economic, cultural, and public health concerns. The expansion of the potential lease area to encompass both sides of the Mariana archipelago, coming as close as 46 miles to land, further exacerbates these worries.

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There is a profound lack of meaningful engagement with affected communities. Despite the magnitude of the proposal, the process relies heavily on federal mechanisms that are inaccessible, compressed, and insufficient for island communities that face structural barriers to participation.

A central argument from the governors is the profound lack of meaningful engagement with the affected island communities. They contend that the federal mechanisms used by BOEM are inaccessible, compressed, and insufficient for communities facing structural barriers to participation. Despite a majority of public comments opposing the potential lease sale, these concerns appear to have been largely ignored as the process advanced.

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The decision-making process has so far failed to address the potential environmental and health impacts that critical mineral extraction would have on the oceans, fisheries, and populations of Guam and the CNMI.

Furthermore, the governors emphasize that the decision-making process has failed to adequately address the potential environmental and health impacts of critical mineral extraction on the oceans, fisheries, and populations of Guam and the CNMI. BOEM's own Area Identification Memo acknowledged numerous concerns but provided no concrete plans to mitigate them. Critically, the proposal also interferes with the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) program, a vital platform for U.S. military readiness in the Indo-Pacific, raising national security implications that the governors believe are being overlooked.

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The RFI does not consider the implications of deep-sea mining on national security priorities. The proposal interferes with the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) program, the Department of War's most critical readiness platform in the Indo-Pacific.