Trump's Seabed Mining Initiative Sparks Congressional Debate

Tensions rose in Congress as the Metals Company sought its first seabed mining permit following Trump's controversial executive order, revealing a divide over environmental concerns and business practices.

Less than a week after President Trump signed an executive order to expedite seabed mining, the U.S. government received its initial permit application from the Metals Company, a key advocate for the controversial practice. During a heated congressional hearing on Tuesday, the company’s CEO, Gerard Barron, characterized Trump's directive as a “starting gun” for extracting valuable minerals such as cobalt and nickel from the Pacific Ocean's deep seabed.

The committee session, held by Congress’s natural resources committee, saw sharp exchanges between Republican and Democratic members, particularly regarding the potential environmental ramifications of deep-sea mining. The Trump administration indicated it would consider granting permits for extraction activities within U.S. territorial waters, as well as in international waters—a move that has drawn criticism from various nations for allegedly disregarding international regulations.

Despite there being no history of commercial-scale seabed mining operations, the prospect remains contentious. Representative Jared Huffman, the ranking Democrat on the committee, expressed alarm at what he termed the “reckless cowboy manner” in which the Metals Company and Trump were advancing the mining initiative. Huffman and others raised concerns about the viability of mining cobalt and nickel given that electric vehicle manufacturers are increasingly shifting towards battery technologies that may not require these minerals. The future of seabed mining remains uncertain as debates continue over its implications for both industry and the environment.