According to reports, President Donald Trump signed an executive directive on Thursday that aims to accelerate U.S. ocean mining.
Although some companies have promoted this idea, deep-sea mining has not been done at a large scale.
The Hill reported Trump’s order to the Commerce Secretary to expedite permits for commercial exploration and mining undersea and to the Interior Secretary to develop a programme to enable U.S. coastal mining.
An official of the Trump administration told reporters the administration anticipates finding valuable minerals on the seafloor, such as manganese and cobalt.
These minerals are used in a wide range of industries, including energy, consumer goods, and weapons. Batteries can be made of nickel and cobalt. Nickel, cobalt and copper are also used to make smartphones.
According to The Hill, China controls a large share of rare earth mineral supply in the world. Administration officials described this order as being beneficial for both the economy and the national security.
Environmentalists are concerned about the potential impact of deep sea mining. They say that the practice can destroy wildlife habitats, release toxic substances into the oceans and contribute to biodiversity loss.
