NOAA speeds up process to grant deep-sea mining permits
Source: Roll Call
Posted January 27, 2026 at 11:55am
The Trump administration, with the support of many congressional Republicans, is looking to boost deep-sea mining as a way to counter Chinese dominance of critical minerals supply chains. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a final rule on Jan. 21 that would speed up the process companies must go through to receive exploration licenses and commercial recovery permit applications under a 1980 law.
The move has drawn skepticism over concerns about largely unproven technology and its potential impact on the environment, including from the Republican delegates who represent three U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean.
The NOAA rule would let applicants seek both the license and permits at the same time. NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said in a statement that the move would enable “U.S. companies to access these resources more quickly, strengthening our nation’s economic resilience and advancing the discovery and use of critical seafloor minerals.”
President Donald Trump called for the rule in an executive order signed in April. The U.S. subsidiary of a Canadian company, The Metals Co., filed a consolidated application on Jan. 22 to mine a deposit — known as a nodule in the industry — containing nickel, cobalt, copper and other materials in the Pacific Ocean. NOAA will hold a public hearing on the application beginning Jan. 27.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/01/27/noaa-speeds-up-process-to-grant-deep-sea-mining-permits/