Sources say that the White House is considering an executive order to speed up deep-sea mines.

Two sources who are directly involved in the White House's deliberations say that they are considering an executive order which would expedite permits for deep sea mining in international waters. This would allow mining companies to bypass a United Nations review process.

The order, if signed, would be the latest effort by U.S. president Donald Trump to tap into international deposits of nickel and copper, and other essential minerals that are widely used across the economy, after recent efforts made in Greenland, and Ukraine. Trump also used emergency powers earlier this month to boost domestic mineral production.

Since years, the International Seabed Authority, created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (which the U.S. does not have ratified), has been examining standards for deep sea mining in international waters. However, it hasn't formalized them because of unresolved disagreements over acceptable levels of noise, dust and other factors.

Sources say that Trump's order on deep-sea mines will likely stipulate that the U.S. aims at exercising its rights to extract minerals from the ocean floor and allow miners to bypass the ISA and apply for permits through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This would give mining companies an official process to follow and prevent the perception that they are trying to mine the ocean floor without oversight.

Sources said that the plans are still being discussed and may change before Trump signss the order.

The White House has not responded to any requests for comments.

Environmental groups have expressed concern about the risks that marine life could face if the practice were to commence. However, companies who want to mine the seabed claim the environmental impact of the practice is significantly lower than on land.

Deep-sea mining is allowed in any country's territorial waters up to 200 nautical miles off the shore. Cook Islands, Norway, and Japan are among the governments most interested in developing a deep-sea mine in their waters.

The 36 members of the ISA council gathered again in Kingston, Jamaica earlier this month, to discuss hundreds of amendments proposed to a 256 page draft mining code for International Waters. However, the meeting ended with no resolution.

The Metals Co, a Vancouver-based company backed by the metals giant Glencore, requested Washington's permission to mine deep sea last Thursday.

The Metals Co stated that "commercial industry was not welcomed at the ISA", and that "the U.S. regulator is willing to engage and listen to the applications and give them a fair hearing."

AMERICA FIRST POLICIES

Trump last week announced a move to withdraw from international institutions that he deemed incompatible with his "America First' economic policies. Trump's last week

Sources have confirmed that contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been halted.

This move could also cause tension with other nations that are competing for resources and believe the permitting process should be handled by a global organization that monitors access and settles disputes.

Beijing has begun to restrict the export of minerals that are used for defense purposes. This is part of Trump's quest to find new sources of minerals.

The staffing required by NOAA to review permits for deep-sea mines was not immediately known. As part of Trump’s efficiency drive with Elon Musk, NOAA saw job cuts.

The distance between the shore and deep-sea mines makes them more complex in terms of technology.

Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, said in a meeting with Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness last week that Washington wanted to work with Kingston on projects related to energy, such as "mining off the seabed."

Other companies interested in deep-sea mining are Impossible Metals from California, Blue Minerals Jamaica (China Minmetals), China Minmetals and Kiribati Marawa Research and Exploration. (Reporting and editing by Richard Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy and Ernest Scheyder)

(source: Reuters)