Lynnhaven River NOW (LRNow) strongly opposes commercial seabed mining in federal waters off Virginia’s coast.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is conducting a request for information and interest (RFI) to seek industry and public input on a proposal to allow commercial seabed mineral mining in waters located off Virginia’s Eastern Shore and north of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay – an area larger than the state of Delaware.
While BOEM describes this RFI as an early step, it is a consequential one. If approved, commercial seabed mining involves allowing private industries to disturb and remove seafloor materials from public waters over a large area and for a long period of time. This is different from routine dredging of offshore sand for coastal resilience, storm recovery, navigation, and beach nourishment, which is carefully managed and is designed to protect our communities. Seabed disruption at this scale can have serious ecological consequences that would impact this region’s commercial and recreational fishing, and the marine life that depends on clean water and healthy habitat.
Additionally, BOEM’s RFI does not seek to answer basic questions about operations, protections and waste management that coastal Virginians deserve to have answered before any leasing process advances.
Many Virginia and Maryland cities are already voicing concerns that echo the region’s past opposition to offshore oil and gas development.
LRNow’s opposition is also grounded in its own 24 years of experience in restoring the Lynnhaven River after decades of water quality degradation.
“At LRNow, we know how difficult, expensive, and time-intensive it is to restore a waterway after it has been harmed,” Mason said. “The lesson from the Lynnhaven River is clear: prevention is far easier and more responsible than trying to repair damage after the fact.”
LRNow encourages Virginians to submit comments opposing offshore mineral leasing, exploration, and extraction off Virginia’s coast and urges BOEM to take seriously the ecological, economic, cultural, and operational concerns being raised.
“The burden should be on BOEM and the applicant to prove this activity is safe, compatible, and necessary,” Mason said. “We should not have to accept the risks without overwhelming proof that our waters, fisheries, and coastal economy will be protected.”
Coastal communities must have a meaningful voice before any decision is made about commercial seabed mining off Virginia’s coast.
Members of the public can submit comments to BOEM by August 22, 2026 here:
Other Resources: