Guam Governor Demands Formal Consultation on CNMI Deep-Sea Mining Lease
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has asked the U.S. Interior Department to include Guam in the consultation process for the Pacific Mineral Lease Sale (PACM-2) off the CNMI.
Guam’s governor, Lou Leon Guerrero, wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the Marine Minerals Administration on September 15, insisting that Guam be formally consulted on the upcoming Pacific Mineral Lease Sale (PACM-2) targeting deep-sea minerals near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. She contends that federal regulations define Guam as an "adjacent State," entitling it to the same Proposed Leasing Notice and a 60-day comment period that the CNMI received after the lease was announced on August 17.
The proposed lease zone is roughly 47 miles from Guam and 57 miles from Saipan, and the federal environmental review warns of potential impacts on ports, infrastructure, fisheries, air quality and shared marine ecosystems. Leon Guerrero emphasized that the novelty of seabed mineral leasing demands careful, legally-mandated consultation to protect Guam’s environment, economy and residents. She asked the Interior Department to provide Guam with the leasing notice and allow the full review period before proceeding further.
