JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday saying that the U.S. should get into the business of deep-sea mining. The move puts America at odds with almost every other country, since most have agreed to hold off until industry rules can be established. Mining the remote ocean floor has also never been done at scale, and many are concerned it could damage an ecosystem we don't know a lot about. Daniel Ackerman covers science and climate, and he's been following the story and joins us now. Hi there.
DANIEL ACKERMAN: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: So Dan, just start by telling us exactly what this executive order does.
ACKERMAN: Yeah. Well, the order is meant to jump-start the deep-sea mining industry. You know, for decades, companies have been eyeing offshore deposits of minerals like nickel and cobalt, and there are a lot of these metals in the deep ocean. They could be used in energy technology like electric car batteries. And the U.S. Geological Survey calls these minerals critical to national defense and the economy.
Now, at the same time, the Trump administration is concerned about China's dominance of global mineral supplies. That's a concern shared by many lawmakers, including Democrats in Congress. So this executive order is, in part, a way to go around China here and give the U.S. more control of these minerals. The order directs the U.S. government to fast-track permitting for companies that want to be the first to go out there and mine the deep sea and bring that material to the U.S. for processing and manufacturing. But all of this remains really controversial.
SUMMERS: Explain why.
ACKERMAN: Well, marine scientists are worried that mining could damage deep ocean ecosystems that they're really just starting to understand. You know, researchers think the vast majority of animal species in the deep sea have yet to be discovered. And in part because of that, more than 30 countries have called for a moratorium on seabed mining, at least until strong regulations are in place.
And for years, there have been international talks about whether to allow this industry and what the rules should be, but this executive order directs U.S. agencies to basically ignore those negotiations and act on their own. And the key point is this order covers not just U.S. waters but international waters, too. I spoke with Sheryl Murdock about this. She's a deep-sea ecologist at Arizona State University.
SHERYL MURDOCK: This is just going to say, you know, the U.S. is going to stake claim to a part of international waters that is supposed to be for the benefit of all humankind and say, no, this part is ours, and we're going to do what we like with it.
ACKERMAN: And, you know, one place that mining companies are really focused on is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico in an area that does fall under international waters. So a lot of countries are saying no single nation should be setting the rules here. Dozens - like France, China, India and Chile - have all condemned the idea that the U.S. might go it alone.
SUMMERS: OK, Dan, so we've got this executive order. Tell us what might happen next.
ACKERMAN: Well, no one is going to go out and mine the seabed tomorrow. This is still a new industry. Mining firms still have to go through an application process, but some are really eager to push forward. They say international talks have been too slow, and the Trump administration seems to want to move fast. And the government is even considering buying up some of these seabed minerals and stockpiling them. And one thing I'm keeping an eye on is whether the Trump administration might lease out its own federal waters for mining. At least one company wants to do that in the waters near American Samoa.
SUMMERS: That's reporter Daniel Ackerman. Thank you so much.
ACKERMAN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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