The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is now taking the next steps in the Trump Administration’s deep-sea mineral leasing plans offshore American Samoa. KHJ News Washington, D.C. correspondent Matt Kaye reports…
The public comment period officially ended August 15, and BOEM—which did not return a call in time for this story—is now reviewing comments from the public, the American Samoa Government (ASG), and others like environmental groups.
But the message to the Interior Department and the White House is clear, as Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula told a town hall meeting in July…
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…ASG having reaffirmed a 2024 deep-sea mining moratorium and formally opposed seabed mining near American Samoa in a written statement to Interior’s Doug Burgum.
President Trump signed an Executive Order in March citing seabed mineral development as vital to U.S. national security—an order Secretary Burgum seems intent on carrying out…
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But American Samoa now seems caught up in the U.S. trade war with China, which has limited its export of key minerals used in everything from computer chips to industrial goods and weapons.
BOEM will now identify areas to consider for leasing, conduct environmental reviews, and, if cleared, proceed with a competitive lease sale.
However, the Trump Administration is still listening. Interior plans an IGIA session in September—providing a key platform for local leaders to tell federal officials face-to-face that they oppose seabed mining near American Samoa.
