The initial public comment period for an unprecedented proposal to explore mineral mining in the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia’s Eastern Shore ends Saturday, with more than 1,300 comments filed and significant opposition emerging from local governments, watermen and conservation groups.
Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration and Michigan-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. submitted an unsolicited request for leases covering sites within a roughly 2,700-square-mile area off Virginia’s coast.
The companies say the project could help establish domestic sources of critical minerals, including rare earth elements used in electronics, defense systems and other technologies.
Interest in marine minerals comes as the Trump administration seeks to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign sources, particularly China. A Fortune Business Insights report projected the global marine mining market could grow from $6.18 billion in 2026 to $65.56 billion by 2034, with North America accounting for about 41% of the market.
Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican representing Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, sponsored recent legislation expanding mineral mining opportunities. Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Republican whose 2nd District includes the Eastern Shore, voted for the legislation.
Odyssey says the Virginia proposal remains in its early stages and that no mining activity has been approved.
The company has pledged to study the seafloor, water and wildlife before proposing dredging and says it would take measures to avoid, minimize and monitor potential environmental impacts. Odyssey has also said regulators, scientists, stakeholders and the public would be involved as the proposal advances.
Local officials, however, say they lack enough information to determine what the project could mean for the Eastern Shore’s environment and economy.
Accomack County Supervisor Jeffrey Parks said he first learned about the proposal after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced the leasing interest in June.
“Nobody likes to be surprised,” Parks said. “If mining is a way to add jobs, I’d be all over it. But I don’t know enough to know whether Odyssey will be exploiting resources. I feel they missed an opportunity by not coming to the local government first.”
Accomack County supervisors have submitted comments opposing the leases amid concerns about potential effects on fisheries, tourism and the coastal environment.
“Any large-scale seabed mining or dredging activity has the potential to alter marine habitats, affect water quality, disrupt fisheries, and negatively impact recreational opportunities that attract thousands of visitors to our region each year,” the board said in its comments.
Supervisors also raised concerns about possible conflicts with operations at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Navy testing and training areas.
Northampton County supervisors have taken a similar position, saying the county would oppose commercial marine mining leases until more is known about their potential effects.
The county said it would oppose the leases “until comprehensive scientific, environmental, and economic analyses demonstrate that such activities pose no unacceptable risk to Northampton County, its residents, its economy, or its natural resources.”
Environmental organizations also say significant questions remain.
“We really don’t know about the mining process,” said Susan Bates, director of the Virginia Coast Reserve Program for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia.
“We don’t know about the risks,” Bates said. “There are 133,000 acres of conserved lands on the Eastern Shore. Water quality allows for sea grasses. The clam industry here is one of the largest in the nation, and it is on the ocean side.”
The Virginia Waterman’s Association said it has “grave concerns regarding the environmental impacts that could affect commercial fishing.”
The association has requested a detailed analysis of commercial fishing activity within the proposed lease area and modeling to determine how sediment disturbed by mining could move during different seasons and storm conditions.
It also wants regulators to evaluate the cumulative effects of mineral extraction alongside other pressures on marine ecosystems and fisheries and to establish a mitigation and compensation program for fishermen, seafood businesses, processors and related industries if economic losses occur.
Odyssey has emphasized that its proposal does not involve deep-sea mining. Instead, the company is considering mineral extraction in shallower waters using dredges.
That distinction could affect both the environmental impacts and regulatory framework surrounding the project.
Deep-sea mining has raised concerns internationally because sediment plumes generated by mining can affect water quality and marine habitats. Research from the University of Helsinki in Finland has found that some effects of shallow-water dredge mining may dissipate more quickly than those associated with deep-sea mining, but researchers have warned that shallow-water mineral extraction can still pose significant risks to marine ecosystems.
The researchers also cautioned that claims of lower environmental impacts from shallow-water mining have not been supported by sufficient scientific evaluation and noted that the activity can fall into regulatory gaps compared with deep-sea mining.
Odyssey, meanwhile, says environmental studies would be conducted before dredging is proposed and would include consideration of marine mammals and other wildlife.
The lease request is only an early step in what could become a lengthy federal review process. Any eventual mining operation would face additional environmental studies, regulatory reviews and opportunities for public involvement.
For Eastern Shore officials and industries dependent on clean coastal waters, however, the current comment period represents an early opportunity to raise concerns before the proposal moves further through the federal process.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is accepting public comments on the proposed offshore mineral leases through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.
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