Apatang urges public comments after RFI extended to Jan. 12

Gov. David M. Apatang said that since the CNMI has no control over its Exclusive Economic Zone, the next best course of action for residents is to submit comments on the federal Request for Information regarding commercial leasing for Outer Continental Shelf minerals offshore the Commonwealth.

“Whether what’s going to happen beyond our Exclusive Economic Zone belongs to the United States, so it’s up to them what they’re going to do,” Apatang told Marianas Press after posing for photos with Miss Earth Aria Keilbach on Dec. 12 at the Governor’s Office on Capitol Hill. “But as long as we submit our comments—whether positive or negative—that’s coming from our people here.”

Apatang added that his administration has been working with neighboring Guam and has invited the Office of Insular Affairs to the Commonwealth to conduct a series of public hearings on seabed mining, proposed to be held on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“Everybody’s getting excited about deep-sea mining. We’re working on it,” Apatang said. “We signed a joint letter with the government of Guam and sent it to the federal government. I also spoke with the Department of the Interior’s Bill Hague last week. I just want to make sure these people come here to the CNMI and hold public hearings so our people can hear directly from the horse’s mouth what is actually going to happen when we start the deep-sea mining project.”

Hague serves as the principal deputy assistant secretary for Insular and International Affairs.

Aside from the proposed public hearings—likely two on Saipan and one each on Tinian and Rota—Apatang continued to urge Commonwealth residents to submit comments on the seabed mining proposal.

“We’re trying to put all the comments together,” he said. “I know the Legislature already has some comments, so we’re going to compile everything and submit our position letter.”

Last Dec. 12, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management granted a 30-day extension—to Jan. 12, 2026—for public comments on a proposal that could open waters near the CNMI to deep-sea mineral leasing.

Apatang and Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero had jointly requested a 120-day extension, arguing that island jurisdictions need more time for scientific review, technical analysis, and community consultation.

In Guam, Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio criticized the limited extension, saying the process remains too rushed for decisions with significant environmental and cultural implications.

While acknowledging the additional time as a step forward, the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration emphasized that the extension falls short of what island communities need for a thorough and responsible review.

“While extending the comment period is a step in the right direction, it is not enough,” Leon Guerrero said. “Island communities like Guam and the CNMI need a process that truly reflects the complexity of these issues and respects the time it takes to consult our people, our scientists, and our cultural leaders. Decisions about our ocean must be made with care, not on an accelerated timeline.”

During his visit to Washington, D.C., last week, Tenorio raised Guam’s concerns directly with federal officials, reinforcing Leon Guerrero’s request and underscoring the limitations of a short review period for island jurisdictions.

Tenorio met with Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment Dale Marks and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment Bob Thompson. He also raised the issue in separate meetings with Hague, Deputy Assistant Secretary Angel Demapan, and CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds.

“Guam cannot be an afterthought in federal decision-making,” Tenorio said. “From Washington, D.C., I raised Guam’s concerns directly and made clear that island communities need real consideration when proposals could impact our oceans, livelihoods, and future. Advocacy matters, but this extension alone does not address the deeper need for a process that fully includes Guam and the CNMI.”

BOEM issued the RFI on Nov. 12 regarding commercial leasing for Outer Continental Shelf minerals offshore the CNMI. The action represents the first step in a process that could eventually lead to mineral leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf.

The proposed target area lies east of the Marianas Trench National Marine Monument and extends into waters between Rota and Guam. BOEM initially provided only a 30-day public comment period.