Summary:
NOAA will hold two virtual public hearings, on September 3, 2025, and on September 4, 2025, to receive oral comments on the July 7, 2025, proposed rule for revisions to the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA or the Act) regulations. DSHMRA charges NOAA with the responsibility for issuing licenses for exploration and permits for commercial recovery of polymetallic nodules from the deep seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction and promulgating regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act. Additionally, the Act requires that NOAA hold a public hearing for proposed changes to the DSHMRA regulations. The July 7, 2025, proposed rule noted that NOAA will hold one virtual public hearing on the proposed changes to the DSHMRA regulations on a date, time, and virtual location to be determined, which will be published in the Federal Register and posted on NOAA's Deep Seabed Mining website.