Hawaii Governor Josh Green signs bill banning seabed mining in state waters

HONOLULU (KAUWAI NEWS) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green on Monday signed a state Senate bill banning seafloor mining in state waters, less than two weeks after 12 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to support a precautionary moratorium or ban on the nascent industry.

“This bill prohibits seafloor mining and state marine waters because of the environmental risks and the constitutional right of citizens to a clean and healthy environment,” Governor Green said of Senate Bill 2575. “… I think the Legislature decided to go first, and for that I’m forever grateful.”

Seabed mining has made headlines in recent weeks: In addition to the letter from House Democrats to President Biden, the New York Times published a July 4 story detailing a “violent struggle” within the International Seabed Authority, the entity that controls mining in international waters around the world.

Twenty-seven countries currently support a moratorium or precautionary moratorium on seafloor mining for metals needed for electric vehicles, but contractors such as Canadian mining company The Metals Company hope to extract metals from the Pacific Ocean floor as early as 2026, according to The New York Times.

One of the areas Metals has contracted is a 46,000-square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean that is expected to generate $31 billion in net revenues after 25 years of mining, according to The New York Times, which notes that Metals “claims that its contracted area contains enough nickel, cobalt and manganese to meet all of America’s demand for automotive battery metals.”

Democratic state Sen. and Majority Whip Lorraine R. Inouye (1st District – Grand Island) took to the podium after Greene’s speech and made a seemingly impromptu statement on the seabed mining ban.

“As the governor has stated, this bill seeks to protect Hawaii’s marine ecosystems by prohibiting seabed mining in state waters, which poses a high risk to the environment and biodiversity,” said Senator Inouye. “But it also emphasizes the cultural and spiritual importance of the deep ocean to Native Hawaiians and protects existing ocean-dependent industries, such as fishing and tourism.

“More importantly, this bill emphasizes a precautionary approach to avoid unknown hazards and ensures we protect Hawaii’s rich marine environment and promote prosperity for future generations,” she continued.

Solomon Pili Kaho’ohalahara, a Native Hawaiian elder and chairman of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, praised the ban: “The deep ocean is our home and there is no place for seafloor mining in Hawaiian waters or in our Moana Nui Akea Sea, the great Pacific Ocean.”

Democratic state Rep. Nicole Lowen (District 7 – Grand Island) co-sponsored legislation similar to the seabed mining ban in the state Senate and co-chaired the conference committee on SB2575.

“The passage of this bill not only protects Hawaii’s waters, it also sends an important message to the rest of the world about the dangers of seabed mining,” she said.

In 2023, the Blue Climate Initiative launched a petition calling for a moratorium on seabed mining and collected signatures from indigenous communities and marine scientists across the Pacific. To date, members of 51 countries and 72 indigenous groups have signed on.

Other bills Green signed Monday include Senate Bill 3364, which establishes a tourism management action plan; House Bill 2248, which appropriates funds to develop a beach management plan for the North Shore of Oahu; and House Bill 2475, which addresses unpermitted commercial marine activities; and more… PACNEWS

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