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| Economy |
| US aims to issue deep-sea mining permits within months, Interior Secretary Burgum says |
| 2026-09-15 |
| [Reuters] The Trump administration on Monday signaled it is nearing approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost U.S. access to the critical minerals used across much of the country's economy. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during a gathering of G20 energy ministers in Houston that permits could come within months as the administration pursues a strategy of "energy addition" to expand supply chains for the country and allies. Since returning to office last year, President Donald Trump has taken steps to bolster the nascent deep-sea mining industry, although he has yet to issue operational permits for it to proceed. The specter of seabed mining being allowed to commence has alarmed many environmentalists due to concern it could cause irreversible biodiversity loss. Parts of the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere are estimated to contain large amounts of potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules that contain the building blocks for electric vehicles, weapons and electronics. "Those nodules that we just have to go out and vacuum up off the (sea) floor are filled with these critical minerals that we need," Burgum said. "And of course, part of that is assuring that we've got diverse, secure, affordable supply of critical minerals." |
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