{"id":2841,"date":"2026-08-19T03:50:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2841"},"modified":"2026-08-19T03:50:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:50:50","slug":"nonprofit-sues-u-s-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2841","title":{"rendered":"Nonprofit sues U.S. as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico \u2014 A legal environmental group sued the U.S. government on Tuesday to halt the Trump administration\u2019s plans announced last month to auction off massive sections of water surrounding American Samoa<\/a> for potential deep-sea mining.<\/p>\n

Earthjustice<\/a> filed the federal lawsuit against the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service<\/a> and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on behalf of two groups: Fa\u2018asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n

The legal nonprofit is requesting that a judge order the National Marine Fisheries Service to stop moving forward with its plans and to comply with the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe United States has never opened its waters to deep-sea mining. Until now,\u201d the lawsuit stated.<\/p>\n

It noted that the U.S. plans to sell leases with the intention of allowing mining across some 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa<\/a> that is rich in minerals including nickel, cobalt and manganese that are used to build batteries, electronics and other products.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit stated that the U.S. first must ensure that such activity will not destroy critical habitats or push species closer to extinction.<\/p>\n

The environmental group called a recent decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service that leases would not affect critical habitat or endangered or threatened species \u201ca wholly arbitrary and capricious determination.\u201d<\/p>\n