The proposed leasing notice was published on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to expedite mining permits despite growing environmental concerns.
The unilateral U.S. move is also a departure from previous administrations that have respected the rules of the International Seabed Authority, a Jamaica-based U.N. body, which oversees deep international waters and has been debating mining rules for years.
More than 43 countries have called for a moratorium or ban on deep sea mining, which scientists have warned could unleash noise, light and suffocating dust storms and affect fragile marine life.
But the U.S. and others are eager to mine the seafloor for copper, iron, zinc and other minerals that are in demand for technology, military use and electric vehicles.