Good morning. Thank you to our Subcommittee Chairman, Mr. Franklin, for presiding over this important hearing, and thank you to our witnesses for sharing their insights today.
This discussion will examine the current state of science and technology in deep-sea mining. Our way of life depends on a reliable supply of energy resources, which in turn is driven by the accessibility and availability of rare earth elements. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines rare earth elements as a group of 17 metals with unique physical and chemical properties.
These elements are key to making glass, lights, magnets, batteries, cell phones, cars, and catalytic converters.
Ironically, they are called “rare” not because of their lack of abundance, but because of the locations on Earth where they are sourced and the difficulty involved in processing them into usable forms.
Currently, the United States follows the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, which governs how U.S. companies conduct resource assessments and operations in international waters, and thanks to renewed efforts from the Trump Administration, exploration licenses and production permits are being streamlined for greater efficiency.
As with many other issues this Committee presides over, China remains our biggest competitor in the production and processing of rare earth elements and is far more advanced in the processing of critical minerals, due to heavy investment in this capability decades ago.
According to the Michigan Journal of Economics, China produces almost 70 percent of the global supply of rare earth elements and processes nearly 90 percent of all critical minerals.
Given the importance of these minerals to consumer and military technology, the United States must establish greater control over the supply chain to counteract the influence of our adversaries, especially in times of conflict.
Deep-sea mining offers a path toward critical supply chain independence due to the sheer volume of materials spread across the ocean floor—if we can responsibly and economically extract and refine them.
Improving the United States’ refining techniques is essential to bolster domestic manufacturing that relies on a secure supply of these materials, as well as the national security systems that depend on them.
U.S.-based breakthroughs in underwater remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles have allowed scientists to map and characterize the seafloor down to a 1-meter resolution, creating highly accurate map data to help determine the best places to explore and harvest these minerals.
Advancements in collection and lift technologies can minimize disturbance to the ocean ecosystem while remaining cost-effective for commercial deep-sea mining, ultimately giving the United States a competitive edge.
However, because of the vast scale of the deep ocean, it remains one of the least understood environments on Earth and requires further study and resources.
NOAA has historically conducted, and continues to conduct, research on deep ocean ecosystems to establish an environmental baseline that can inform future protection standards for resource development activities.
This research will ultimately help the commercial industry conduct environmental impact assessments and develop risk mitigation strategies to responsibly produce these indispensable materials. It will also position the U.S.-based mining industry as a global leader in responsible resource development and management.
The United States must continue to prioritize research in the areas that have the greatest potential for resource development if we are to outcompete countries like China in the global critical minerals race.
I want to thank the Subcommittee Chairman for convening this hearing, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.