New Interior document outlines 2026–2027 timeline targeting American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Alaska, with Indigenous outreach planned only after lease sales
WASHINGTON (April 17, 2026) — The Trump Administration is moving to fast-track offshore mineral extraction in U.S. Pacific waters, according to a newly released Department of the Interior document. The plan, which references three lease sales for fiscal years 2026 to 2027, is raising concerns about environmental harm, Indigenous rights, and potential violations of federal law.
The document shows the department’s newly redesignated Marine Minerals Administration plans to offer lease sales in American Samoa in August 2026, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in November 2026, and the Alaska Region in December 2026.
All the proposed sites are biodiversity hotspots where mineral extraction would disproportionately affect Indigenous Peoples and local communities, exposing them to environmental, economic, and cultural risks from the destructive mining practices.
Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, founder of American Samoa’s Finafinau foundation, said:
“The people of American Samoa have opposed deep sea mining in our waters from the very start, yet this process continues to move forward as if our voices are optional. A 20-year lease on our seabed is not a minor decision; it is a long-term commitment with permanent implications and irreversible risks based on theoretical benefits. This ocean is our home, it is our children’s future, and we cannot afford to gamble the foundation of our identity on an unproven industry.”
American Samoa has enacted a moratorium on deep-sea mining in its waters and has opposed federal proposals to mine the outer continental shelf. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have also expressed strong opposition, with over 3,000 residents from U.S. territories signing petitions against proposed deep-seabed mining.
The document states that funding for tribal and Pacific Islands outreach would occur after the 2026 lease sales. That sequencing raises concerns about potential violation of numerous national, state, and territorial policies.
Recent community engagement by Greenpeace USA campaigners found that many local stakeholders viewed federal consultations conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as a symbolic box-ticking exercise with predetermined outcomes. The newly released timeline reinforces those concerns, suggesting lease decisions could move forward despite sustained community opposition.
Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA’s Deep Sea Mining Campaign Project Lead, said:
“The Trump Administration’s move to open offshore territorial waters to deep sea mining is a blatant rejection of the precautionary principle, government due diligence, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination. It’s another free-for-all giveaway to corporations that will come at the expense of local communities and all of us who benefit from a healthy and resilient ocean. The people of the United States must quickly and strongly rebuke this move before ancient ocean ecosystems are lost forever.”
Bobbi-Jo Dobush, an independent environmental lawyer and deep sea mining expert who is tracking Department of Interior documents on this matter, said: “BOEM is moving toward issuing leases without robust environmental analysis, and once the leases are granted, they are very difficult and potentially very costly for constituents to revoke. This approach leaves a long-term threat hanging over Pacific Island communities for generations when they have already made it clear they do not want this industry in their waters.”
Greenpeace USA condemns the Trump Administration’s efforts to open U.S. waters to deep sea mining and demands that existing laws and policies be followed should the people of the U.S. and its territories decide to move forward with the dangerous practice. This should include robust public and Indigenous consultation and a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that incorporates rigorous science and evaluation, rather than a more cursory Environmental Assessment (EA).
Contacts:
Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected].
Greenpeace USA Press Desk: [email protected]
Greenpeace USA (Inc.) is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
