BOEM Opens Virginia’s Offshore Seafloor to Mining Industry Interest
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is soliciting commercial interest in leasing parts of the outer continental shelf off Virginia for seabed mineral mining. The agency has given industry about one month to submit comments on potential lease sites, the first step toward granting extraction rights in federal waters Virginia has never opened to mining.
The zone BOEM placed under consideration stretches along the Eastern Shore and is larger than the state of Delaware, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center. That entire zone would not automatically be leased. If industry responds, BOEM would then narrow down specific areas, conduct environmental reviews, and evaluate impacts before issuing any lease.
The process is framed by the Trump administration as a national security measure.
“Virginia’s offshore mineral resources present a pathway to lessen foreign dependence and reinforce America’s strategic position by establishing secure domestic supply chains.”
Matt Diacona, BOEM Acting Director, June 2025
The minerals targeted include titanium, zirconium, and rare earth elements found in heavy mineral sands and phosphorite deposits. The U.S. Geological Survey identifies these as critical to manufacturing electronics for consumer and defense applications.
Environmental Groups Say Dredging Puts Coastal Ecosystems at Risk
Industrial seabed mining uses heavy machinery to dredge large amounts of sediment from the ocean floor. Both the Southern Environmental Law Center and Environment Virginia condemned the proposal, citing risks to marine wildlife and coastal ecosystems.
“Ripping up vast swaths of the seafloor puts this ocean heritage at risk.”
Elly Wilson, State Director, Environment Virginia, June 2025
Virginia’s 2020 law banning offshore oil and gas leasing within 50 miles of the coast does not extend to mineral mining, leaving the seafloor legally exposed to this new push. The SELC says it is preparing to fight any lease that moves forward and is drawing a direct comparison to the offshore drilling fights of 2015 and 2018.
What you can do now
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Submit a public comment to BOEM before the comment window closes (approximately mid-July 2025). Go to regulations.gov and search for the BOEM Virginia outer continental shelf mineral mining call for information. Tell BOEM you oppose commercial leasing that has not completed full environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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Call your U.S. senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to demand BOEM conduct a full environmental impact statement before any lease is issued. Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner sit on committees with oversight of interior and energy agency budgets.
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Contact the Virginia General Assembly’s Commerce and Energy Committee and ask members to close the gap in Virginia’s 2020 offshore protection law by extending the 50-mile ban to mineral mining. Find member contact info at virginiageneralassembly.gov.
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Add your name to SELC’s campaign. The Southern Environmental Law Center is building a public record against this lease at southernenvironment.org. A large comment record strengthens legal challenges if BOEM moves to the next stage.
Sources
Virginia Mercury: Federal Government Scouts for Interest in Mineral Mining Off Virginia Shores Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Outer Continental Shelf Leasing and Mineral Resources Program U.S. Geological Survey: Critical Mineral Resources of the United States Southern Environmental Law Center: Wetlands and Coasts Program Environment Virginia: Offshore Energy and Coast Protection