SAIPAN – Sheila Babauta of Friends of the Mariana Trench told Good Morning Marianas that federal officials should extend the public comment period and hold public hearings in the CNMI following a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management request for information related to deep-sea mining.
Babauta said the comment deadline is Dec. 12 and argued that a 30-day window during the holiday season is not enough time for broad community awareness, research, and meaningful participation.
She pointed to American Samoa’s experience as a cautionary example, saying advocates there submitted more than 76,000 public comments and still saw the federal process move forward.
Babauta said Friends of the Mariana Trench supports a precautionary pause or moratorium on deep-sea mining, noting that New Caledonia has a moratorium and that many places across the Pacific and beyond have taken similar positions.
Babauta said the group has published a public resource document and is encouraging community participation through public comments on the Federal Register, a petition opposing deep-sea mining, and a nonprofit sign-on letter, with additional scientific letters also expected to be submitted.
She also questioned whether BOEM can fully understand the CNMI’s perspectives without being present locally, and said public hearings should be held on all three major islands.
Catch the full interview on the NMI News Service Facebook and YouTube.
