The Acting Chairman of the American Samoa Economic Development Authority (ASEDA), Senator Magalei Logovii, has disputed a press release announcing that ASEDA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a company to explore deep sea nodules found in the American Samoa region.
The press release by an off-island company, American Resources ReElement Technologies Corporation said the MOU outlines strategic goals of jointly investigating the development and deployment of a critical mineral refinery with a focus on deep sea nodules found in the American Samoa region.
Sen Magalei told KHJ News, “We have not signed an MOU with any company.” He added that ASEDA supports the stance of the Governor, the Congresswoman and the Fono opposing deep sea mining.”
He said whatever is announced in the press release is not true.
According to the press release the initiative will be consistent with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s process for managing the environmentally-sustainable development of this region.
“The major outcome is focusing on unlocking a vertically integrated critical mineral supply chain solution, combining ReElement’s initial relationship with Impossible Metals’ proprietary nodule collection technology with ReElement’s innovative and industry-leading critical mineral refining platform to create a globally competitive, sustainable, and independent rare earth supply chain in the United States.”
Key highlights of the MOU include:
- Focus on essential elements: Copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and rare earth elements which are prevalent in the local nodules.
- Joint commitment to explore a sustainable, non-China critical mineral supply chain to meet growing global demand.
- Military base installation: Explore options to leverage existing Defense Department infrastructure.
- Strategic collaboration to enhance and secure the global critical mineral value chain and identify further joint opportunities.
- Integration of ReElement’s platform, delivering high-throughput, low-waste, cost-effective refining of ultra-pure critical minerals.
- End-to-end U.S. supply chain: From seabed mining in federal waters near American Samoa and refine locally.
