HR664-119

What This Bill Does

The American Seabed Protection Act imposes a moratorium on commercial deep seabed and Outer Continental Shelf hardrock mineral activity. Despite the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, no license, permit, or other authorization may be issued for deep seabed exploration or commercial recovery. Despite the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, no license, permit, or other authorization may be issued for exploration, development, or production of a hardrock mineral on the Outer Continental Shelf. The moratorium does not apply to scientific research. Within 90 days, the Secretary of Commerce, acting through NOAA, must seek an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study environmental impacts of mining on the deep seabed and Outer Continental Shelf, including ecosystems, water columns, seamounts, hydrothermal vents, habitats, species, carbon sequestration, fisheries, recreation, aquaculture, subsea infrastructure, indigenous peoples, sediment plumes, greenhouse-gas effects, recycling alternatives, substitute minerals, and reduced-impact terrestrial mining.

Who Benefits and How

Marine ecosystems benefit because commercial deep seabed and Outer Continental Shelf hardrock mining permits are blocked while scientific uncertainty remains. Fisheries, aquaculture operations, recreational users, subsea infrastructure developers, and indigenous peoples linked to marine species benefit from a study focused on ecological, food-web, cultural, and user impacts. Scientific researchers benefit because research permits remain available. Congress benefits from a National Academies report on impacts, greenhouse-gas effects, and alternatives such as recycling and substitute materials.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Deep seabed mining companies and Outer Continental Shelf hardrock mineral developers lose access to federal exploration, development, production, and commercial recovery authorizations. NOAA and Commerce staff must seek the National Academies agreement and transmit findings to congressional committees. Federal permitting agencies must distinguish barred commercial authorizations from allowed scientific research permits. Mineral supply-chain companies may need to rely on recycling, substitute minerals, or terrestrial mining alternatives rather than new seabed projects.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits deep seabed exploration and commercial recovery licenses, permits, or authorizations.
• Prohibits Outer Continental Shelf hardrock mineral exploration, development, and production authorizations.
• Exempts scientific research activities from the commercial mining moratorium.
• Requires Commerce through NOAA to seek a National Academies study within 90 days.
• Requires the study to assess ecosystems, fisheries, indigenous peoples, sediment plumes, carbon sequestration, greenhouse-gas effects, and alternatives to seabed minerals.