SUMMARY: NOAA has received two applications for licenses to conduct seabed mining exploration activities that are fully compliant with the applicable information requirements of the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA or the Act) and the Act’s implementing regulations. As part of the application review
process, NOAA will hold one virtual public hearing on American Metal Resources, LLC’s (AMR) application and one virtual public hearing on SeaX, Inc.’s (SeaX) application, and will accept written comments on the applications submitted electronically, see the FR Notice.
DATES: Comments on the applications must be received by May 22, 2026. The virtual public hearing for AMR’s application is scheduled for April 21,
2026, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. For SeaX’s application, the virtual public hearing is scheduled for April 22, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern
Time. Instructions for attending the virtual public hearings are provided below.
ADDRESSES: The AMR application is electronically available at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAANOS-2026-0034; The SeaX application is electronically available at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAANOS-2026-0035. You may send comments, identified by docket number, by either of the following means.
Virtual Public Hearings- You may submit oral comments for AMR’s Application during the April 21, 2026 meeting and oral comments for SeaX’s Application during the April 22, 2026 meeting. Oral comments received during the hearing for AMR may not be considered as to SeaX, and vice versa. NOAA will conduct two virtual
public hearings via Adobe Connect. Each person who wants to attend either virtual public hearing must electronically register by April 21, 2026,
5 p.m. Eastern Time. Attendance at each virtual public hearing will be limited to 1,000 individuals. Any person who registers and wants to speak at a virtual
public hearing should indicate that they want to speak during registration. To register for either hearing, use the following link: https://events-na13.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/2358677976/en/events/event/shared/10627447973/event_landing.html?scoid=10651739456&_charset_=utf-8. Any
person who registers and wants to speak at a virtual public hearing should indicate that they want to speak during registration. Each registered participant
will receive an Adobe Connect link for the virtual public hearing.