Earthjustice, a legal environmental group, has launched a lawsuit against the U.S. government. The action aims to prevent the Trump administration’s recent plans to auction oceanic areas surrounding American Samoa for deep-sea mining.
The lawsuit targets the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Earthjustice represents Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, seeking judicial intervention to halt the agency’s plans. The legal group urges adherence to the Endangered Species Act and other relevant federal regulations.
The legal document warns that the U.S. government plans to lease 33 million acres (13.4 million hectares) of seabed off American Samoa. These waters contain valuable minerals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, essential for manufacturing batteries and electronic devices. The group argues that such activities risk destroying critical habitats and endangering species.
Critics deride a recent decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The service claimed that the proposed leases won’t impact critical habitats or threatened species, a claim labeled as “arbitrary and capricious.”
“A healthy ocean ecosystem is vital for the Samoan people,” the lawsuit states. This ecosystem sustains Samoan households, protects coastal areas, and underpins cultural practices. Many creatures found in Samoan waters, like the “i‘a sa” or “sacred fish,” also migrate to Hawaiian regions.
The lawsuit points out that American Samoa reveres species like whales, sharks, and giant manta rays, enacting bans against harming these creatures. The environmentalists assert that the agency’s decisions compromise diverse marine species and coral reefs in American Samoan and Hawaiian territories.
The disputed area is located 57 miles (92 kilometers) from the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Opponents argue the Trump administration is hastening mining permits, despite numerous countries calling for a halt due to environmental hazards like noise and dust storms.
Earthjustice notes that globally, no commercial seabed mining operation exists yet. While the International Seabed Authority permits exploration, commercial mining remains unauthorized. Most exploration occurs in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, a vast region spanning 1.7 million square miles (4.4 million square kilometers) between Hawaii and Mexico.
Without ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the U.S., through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, governs exploration and mineral recovery. A spokesperson from the agency’s fisheries service declined to comment on the lawsuit. Similarly, a response from the U.S. Department of Commerce remains forthcoming.
Recently, the U.S. announced a prospective lease of 69 million acres (28 million hectares) surrounding the Northern Mariana Islands. Matt Giacona, acting director of the Marine Minerals Administration, emphasized the strategic and economic importance of critical minerals for the U.S.
Opposition to the administration’s plan is intense. “The Trump administration’s push for deep-sea mining is reckless,” said Nick Katkevich, an oceans advocate from the Center for Biological Diversity. “These ventures are too experimental, posing significant threats to marine ecosystems.”