HAGÅTÑA — Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio will host a free public workshop Wednesday, Jan. 7, to help Guam residents submit comments on the federal government’s deep-sea mining proposal for waters near the Marianas Trench, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The event, titled “Our Ocean, Our Voice: A Community Workshop for Comments on Deep Sea Mining,” is set for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña. Organizers said attendees will get help navigating the federal docket and drafting public comments ahead of the Jan. 12 deadline.
The proposal under review is from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and covers roughly 35.5 million acres of seafloor east of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. Local leaders and community advocates have raised concerns about potential environmental and cultural impacts in one of the world’s deepest ocean regions.
Leon Guerrero said the workshop is intended to help residents provide meaningful input, calling the ocean a lifeline and a responsibility to protect. Tenorio said the long-term implications will be carried by future generations and urged the public to participate in the comment process.
Leon Guerrero and CNMI Gov. David Apatang previously sought a 120-day extension to the comment period, arguing island communities needed more time to review and consult. Federal officials extended the period by 30 days, organizers said.
Workshop assistance will include how to access regulations.gov and submit comments under docket number BOEM-2025-0351-0001, along with guidance on how to structure comments and what details are helpful to include.
Speakers listed for the event include Julian Aguon, principal attorney at Blue Ocean Law; Theresa “Isa” Arriola Mook, director of operations at Blue Ocean Law; Jeffrey C. Drazen, a deep sea ecologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Sean D.L.G. Macduff, superintendent of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument.
Organizers said the proposed mining area lies in federal waters and warned of potential impacts to marine ecosystems, cultural heritage sites, Indigenous food systems, and traditional navigation routes. They also cited the possibility of World War II-era shipwrecks and aircraft in the broader area.
Walk-ins are welcome and no registration is required, though an optional registration link was provided. The workshop is being facilitated by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and Guam Green Growth.
Guam schedules workshop to help residents comment on BOEM deep-sea mining plan
HAGÅTÑA — Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio will host a free public workshop Wednesday, Jan. 7, to help Guam residents submit comments on the federal government’s deep-sea mining proposal for waters near the Marianas Trench, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The event, titled “Our Ocean, Our Voice: A Community Workshop for Comments on Deep Sea Mining,” is set for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Guam Museum in Hagåtña. Organizers said attendees will get help navigating the federal docket and drafting public comments ahead of the Jan. 12 deadline.
The proposal under review is from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and covers roughly 35.5 million acres of seafloor east of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. Local leaders and community advocates have raised concerns about potential environmental and cultural impacts in one of the world’s deepest ocean regions.
Leon Guerrero said the workshop is intended to help residents provide meaningful input, calling the ocean a lifeline and a responsibility to protect. Tenorio said the long-term implications will be carried by future generations and urged the public to participate in the comment process.
Leon Guerrero and CNMI Gov. David Apatang previously sought a 120-day extension to the comment period, arguing island communities needed more time to review and consult. Federal officials extended the period by 30 days, organizers said.
Workshop assistance will include how to access regulations.gov and submit comments under docket number BOEM-2025-0351-0001, along with guidance on how to structure comments and what details are helpful to include.
Speakers listed for the event include Julian Aguon, principal attorney at Blue Ocean Law; Theresa “Isa” Arriola Mook, director of operations at Blue Ocean Law; Jeffrey C. Drazen, a deep sea ecologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Sean D.L.G. Macduff, superintendent of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument.
Organizers said the proposed mining area lies in federal waters and warned of potential impacts to marine ecosystems, cultural heritage sites, Indigenous food systems, and traditional navigation routes. They also cited the possibility of World War II-era shipwrecks and aircraft in the broader area.
Walk-ins are welcome and no registration is required, though an optional registration link was provided. The workshop is being facilitated by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and Guam Green Growth.