John,

If this proposed deep sea mining goes forward, heavy machinery will dredge up the seabed and release plumes of heavy metals and other toxic contaminants.[1,2]

A huge area off of Virginia's coast is currently being considered as a source of the minerals used for tech manufacturing -- but we can get all the needed materials from reuse and recycling instead. Why is destroying the ocean floor for minerals an option we're even considering?

We can protect our health, our communities and our environment by stopping this destructive mining before it starts, but we only have until July 23 to make our voices heard.

Add your name: Don't open up Virginia's seafloor to destructive deep-sea mining.
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One of the worst parts of this plan is that this kind of destructive extraction is completely unnecessary.

Critical minerals, including cobalt, nickel, lithium and copper, are needed to manufacture all kinds of technology that improves our lives. Mining the seabed is a way to acquire them -- but it's one of the worst ways.

If you've ever had to throw away a laptop or cell phone because you couldn't repair or update it, you're already familiar with a much better option we could be using. More than 3 million tons of electronic waste goes unrecycled in America every year.[3]

We need tech that lasts longer, and to be able to repair what we have when it breaks so we don't have to manufacture so many new devices in the first place.

But when we do need to make new devices, we should reclaim and reuse the minerals we've already mined, not exploit the ocean for more. It's common sense.

The agency in charge of approving projects like these has only given the public a short time to respond to the proposed plan, so we need to speak out before the comment period deadline on July 23.

We don't need deep sea mining. Stop this plan to mine Virginia's seabed before it starts.
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We still have so much to learn about the deep sea. Dredging up the seafloor for minerals would destroy ecosystems that science is just beginning to understand.

But opposing deep-sea mining isn't just about the science -- it's about our health, too. The debris kicked up by seabed mining can travel for huge distances from mining sites.[4] Contaminants that were formerly locked away in the seafloor could be released again and spread, polluting our coasts and accumulating in wildlife to toxic levels.[5]

Take action to protect our oceans and our health from deep sea mining today.
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Thank you,

Faye Park
President

1. "Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Seeks Public Input on Potential Mineral Leasing Offshore Virginia," Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, June 22, 2026.
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2. Kelsey Lamp and Leah Zahniser, "What to know about seabed mining off Virginia's coast," Environment Virginia Research & Policy Center, June 24, 2026.
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3. Kelsey Lamp, Nathan Proctor, Tony Dutzik, and James Horrox, "We don't need deep sea mining," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, June 18, 2024.
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4. Kelsey Lamp, Nathan Proctor, Tony Dutzik, and James Horrox, "We don't need deep sea mining," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, June 18, 2024.
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5. Kelsey Lamp and Leah Zahniser, "What to know about seabed mining off Virginia's coast," Environment Virginia Research & Policy Center, June 24, 2026.
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