American Seabed Protection Act

Summary#

This bill, the American Seabed Protection Act, would bar the federal government from issuing new licenses, permits, or other authorizations for hardrock mineral extraction on the deep seabed and on the Outer Continental Shelf. It allows an exception for scientific research permits. The bill directs the Secretary of Commerce (acting through NOAA) to seek an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine within 90 days to carry out a comprehensive study of environmental impacts. The required study would be sent to specified Congressional committees and must describe seabed and shelf ecosystems, assess likely impacts of mining (including sediment plumes, effects on habitats and species, and potential greenhouse gas effects), consider impacts on users like fisheries and aquaculture and on indigenous peoples, and evaluate alternatives such as recycling, substitutes, and reducing terrestrial mining impacts.

What it means for you#

• No new federal authorizations would be issued for exploration or commercial recovery on the deep seabed.
• No new federal authorizations would be issued for exploration, development, or production of hardrock minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf.
• Scientific research activities may still receive permits or authorizations.
• Within 90 days after enactment, the Secretary must seek a National Academies study and then report the findings to certain Congressional committees. The study would examine ecosystem characteristics, likely environmental harms, effects on fisheries, recreational users, aquaculture, subsea infrastructure developers, and indigenous peoples, and look at alternatives to seabed minerals.

Expenses#

No publicly available information about the bill's costs or any appropriations is included in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

The bill text states findings that international bodies (including United Nations reports) indicate oceans face substantial risks from climate change, resource extraction, and pollution. It says international scientific and policy consensus views deep seabed mining as a major environmental risk — citing possible loss of unique species, large sediment plumes, noise impacts, contamination of food fish, and harm to deep-ocean carbon storage — and that there is currently insufficient scientific information to fully assess those risks.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information about opponents' views or objections is included in the bill text.