Samoans begin to weigh in on deep sea mining proposal as Impossible Metals CEO opens dialogue alongside formal feedback process

24 hours into the formal feedback process, the two comments so far have been critical, as the Impossible Metals CEO hopes to quell concerns through open dialogue

Keriann Lee

• 3 min read
Samoans begin to weigh in on deep sea mining proposal as Impossible Metals CEO opens dialogue alongside formal feedback process

As Samoans begin to weigh in on the possibility of deep sea mining being conducted off their coast, the company trying to do so is hosting an open session with its CEO on Friday.

Oliver Gunesakara is inviting questions about Impossible Metals and its controversial plan to use robots in Samoan waters to collect critical minerals from the seabed.

At the same time, two Samoans have already posted comments to the official US government website where the Bureau of Energy Management, BOEM, officially opened its request for feedback yesterday.

Feedback to proposed seabed minerals lease sale off the coast of American Samoa
Feedback to proposed seabed minerals lease sale off the coast of American Samoa

Samoans and other stakeholders have until 16 July to weigh in on the proposed seabed minerals lease in the US Outer Continental Shelf north east of the Pacific Island.

BOEM published the Request for Information and Interest, or RFI, yesterday inviting a wide range of stakeholders to weigh in as a required part of its decision making process.

It was Impossible Metals, a California-based company started in 2020, that initiated the process by submitting an official request to trigger a seabed minerals lease sale for rich deposits of nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese and rare earths - all considered critical minerals.

Now that the process has started, the CEO is ramping up engagement with stakeholders with Friday's Ask Me Anything session open to anyone with questions.

Participants may sign up here or give their views on the proposed deep sea mining lease sale here.

Read:

30-day comment process for deep sea mining lease in US waters begins on Monday
As the US moves with pace towards deep sea mining in its Outer Continental Shelf, stakeholders get the chance to have their say
Deep Blue LeagueKeriann Lee
After a false start, Impossible Metals gets back into the starting blocks for its marathon push towards deep sea mining.
It’s the second attempt by Impossible Metals to get its deep sea mining plan off the ground, but can it overcome public sentiment in American Samoa?
Deep Blue LeagueKeriann Lee
Why Impossible Metals won’t be deep sea mining anytime soon
Impossible Metals is out the starting gates, but it’ll be years before it can lower its proprietary robots for commercial activity. Is its US regulator, BOEM, tougher to get past than the International Seabed Authority?
Deep Blue LeagueKeriann Lee

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