Deep sea mining in the Marianas and American Samoa was a topic of contention in Washington during an oversight hearing on Friday. Companies supporting the Trump Administration’s push to fast track deep sea mining say its critical to national security, but republican representatives from island communities are speaking-up in opposition.
Delegate Kimberly King-Hinds from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands said, "In places like the Marianas, American Samoa and Guam, we don’t get the luxury of being wrong. Any decision impacting our ocean is permanent."
On Capitol Hill Friday, representatives from the CNMI, Guam and American Samoa speaking up during an oversight hearing on deep sea mining. This comes as the White House moves to fast track permitting for offshore mining, saying it’s a matter of national security to counter growing interest and competition with China. Guam congressman James Moylan said, "We understand the need for minerals, but no national strategy should move forward by putting the burden on communities that have already carried so much."
