SENATOR LORRAINE R. INOUYE URGES FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO REJECT DEEP-SEA MINING PROPOSAL OFF AMERICAN SAMOA

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI – Hawaiʻi State Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, Majority Whip, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, and Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Water, Land, Culture and the Arts, is urging federal officials to reject a proposal that could open federal waters off shore American Samoa to commercial deep-sea mineral mining, citing significant scientific uncertainty, potential irreversible environmental damage and the importance of protecting the Pacific Ocean for future generations.

In an August 4 letter to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Senator Inouye expressed strong opposition to the agency’s Proposed Leasing Notice for commercial deep-sea mineral leasing offshore of American Samoa.

In a statement, Senator Inouye said:

“As someone with lifetime roots on Hawai‘i Island and a career dedicated to serving Hawai‘i’s rural communities in our island state, I understand that our relationship with the ocean is not just economic—it is cultural, ecological, and deeply personal. Our marine ecosystems sustain local fisheries, provide for the health and well-being of our families and communities, and define our island ways of life.

The deep ocean is an essential part of that complex interconnected system, yet it remains one of the least understood environments on our planet. Scientists continue to warn that commercial deep-sea mining could cause irreversible damage by destroying deep-sea habitats, causing biodiversity loss, spreading sediment plumes, releasing heavy metal pollution into the marine environment, and contaminating fish, whales, sharks, and other marine life with toxic metals. Moving forward with commercial deep-sea mining before we fully understand its long-term impacts puts speculative and shortsighted profits ahead of the long-term health and survival of all our ocean-dependent communities.

Hawai‘i has long been a leader in ocean stewardship because we recognize that the Pacific is both our home and our greatest shared responsibility. The priceless life-sustaining value of the deep ocean far outweighs the speculative benefits of commercial deep-sea mining. Given the significant scientific uncertainty and the risks of permanent environmental harm, Hawai‘i should stand firmly with other Pacific Island communities including American Samoa, in opposition to the commercialization of deep-sea mining and in support of lasting protections for our deep-ocean ecosystems.

We can meet the growing demand for critical minerals through investments in recycling, innovation, and more responsible resource management and use, while safeguarding the ocean that has sustained Pacific Island communities for generations. Protecting the deep ocean reflects our responsibility to all the generations to come and upholds Hawai‘i’s enduring commitment to environmental stewardship, precautionary policymaking, and the conservation of our shared Pacific heritage.”

In her letter, Senator Inouye urged BOEM to withdraw the Proposed Leasing Notice and refrain from issuing commercial leases unless the agency can demonstrate that deep-sea mining can proceed without causing lasting environmental, cultural or socioeconomic harm.

The federal government announced a Proposed Leasing Notice on July 16, 2026, for a potential mineral lease sale in federal waters offshore American Samoa. The BOEM, an agency with the U.S. Department of the Interior, is proposing to hold the lease sale on November 19, 2026.

Read Senator Inouye’s letter to BOEM here.