New Act Mandates 60-Day Rush to Greenlight Deep-Sea Mining for Critical Minerals

If you’ve heard the term “critical minerals” lately, you know they’re the building blocks for everything from electric car batteries to defense systems. The Revitalizing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals Dominance Act aims to secure our supply of these minerals—like cobalt, nickel, and rare earths—by going straight to the ocean floor. The bill’s core action is a massive, immediate push to fast-track exploration and recovery of these resources from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and the deep seabed, citing national security and economic independence as the driving forces. This means the federal government is launching a full-court press to map, permit, and develop these underwater resources, making the U.S. the world leader in seabed mining.

The 60-Day Clock: Regulatory Fast Lane

This bill doesn't just ask agencies to move faster; it gives them a hard deadline. Within 60 days of enactment, the Secretary of Commerce (through NOAA) and the Secretary of the Interior must establish expedited processes for issuing licenses and permits for deep seabed exploration and commercial recovery (SEC. 4). Think about that: two months to overhaul complex regulatory systems that usually take years. For companies looking to mine, this is the green light they’ve been waiting for, promising predictable, rapid approvals. For the rest of us, it means the government is prioritizing speed and national dominance over deliberative, slow-moving environmental review, even while the bill pays lip service to maintaining high environmental standards.

Mapping the Ocean Floor Gold Rush

To make sure companies know exactly where to dig, the Secretary of the Interior must also, within 60 days, finalize a plan to map key areas of the U.S. seabed and OCS that are rich in minerals and easily accessible (SEC. 4). This isn't just a science project; it's a critical step in turning potential resources into real supply chains. They also have to officially identify which critical minerals can be sourced from the seabed, teaming up with the Departments of Defense and Energy to pinpoint the ones most vital for manufacturing and defense (SEC. 4). This entire effort is designed to quickly de-risk deep-sea mining for U.S. companies.

What the Fine Print Protects (and Doesn’t)

While the goal is securing a supply chain for the future—a clear benefit for anyone worried about inflation or foreign dependence—the way the bill achieves this raises some red flags, particularly for environmental safeguards. The aggressive 60-day deadline is the most obvious pressure point, suggesting that comprehensive scientific review might take a back seat to meeting the mandate for speed. Furthermore, the bill explicitly states that it does not create any new rights or benefits that someone could use to sue the U.S. government or its employees (SEC. 4). In plain language, if the expedited permitting process cuts corners and environmental damage occurs, this clause makes it harder for affected groups—like environmental organizations concerned with deep-sea ecosystems—to challenge the government’s actions in court. It’s essentially an insurance policy for the agencies pushing the permits through.

Deep-Sea Diplomacy and Expanding the Definition

Beyond domestic waters, the bill requires the Secretary of Commerce to engage key international partners within 60 days to support U.S. companies exploring and extracting minerals in allied countries’ waters (SEC. 4). This is about leveraging international relationships to secure resources globally, ensuring U.S. companies get first dibs. One final detail to note: the definition of a “mineral” under this Act is broad. While it includes the usual suspects like cobalt and copper, it also allows the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council to unilaterally add any other material deemed “appropriate” (SEC. 3). This grants a single federal official the power to expand the scope of this fast-track mining program without needing further legislative approval.