--- title: "Earthjustice sues US to block deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa" category: "Climate" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-18T22:47:03.989Z" source_reported: "2026-08-18T22:25:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-19T00:45:09.793Z" trust_score: 85 critic_score: 90 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T00:45:09.741362+00:00" --- # Earthjustice sues US to block deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa *Lawsuit challenges Trump administration plan to auction 33 million acres of seabed for mineral extraction* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 85 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports with named sources and documents cited. - Craft 90 of 100, higher is better. Quotes, figures, and right of reply included in full reports. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines match the body content with no sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Earthjustice filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 against the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to block an auction of 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining. - The lawsuit argues the government’s plan violates the Endangered Species Act and threatens critical habitats for endangered species, including five sea turtle populations and four whale species. - The Trump administration is pushing to expedite mining permits, despite international calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining due to environmental risks. - No right-rated outlet covered the story, while left and centre outlets reported it with varying emphasis on legal, environmental, and cultural impacts. Earthjustice, a legal environmental group, filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 against the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The lawsuit seeks to block the Trump administration’s plan to auction 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining. The area is rich in minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are used in batteries and electronics. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, argues that the National Marine Fisheries Service’s determination that the leases would not affect critical habitats or endangered species was "arbitrary and capricious". The area includes habitats for five endangered sea turtle populations, four whale species, and threatened coral species. It is located 57 miles from the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. The Trump administration is seeking to expedite mining permits, despite international calls for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The International Seabed Authority, a UN body, has authorised exploration licences but has not permitted commercial mining. The US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, leaving regulation to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story. None of the digests or reports mentioned the potential economic value of the minerals in the lease area or the administration’s argument that deep-sea mining could reduce US dependence on foreign mineral sources. The Associated Press report included a statement from Matt Giacona of the Marine Minerals Administration, but none of the other reports carried the administration’s case for the leases. ## Who covered it Shares of the 14 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 57% (8) - Centre: 29% (4) - Right: 14% (2) 1 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T00:45:09.741362+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 10 times; 2 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T01:15:06.611Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The six left-rated digests and reports led on the lawsuit’s legal and environmental arguments. The Associated Press and Washington Top News, whose full reports were published, quoted Earthjustice’s claim that the National Marine Fisheries Service’s determination was "a wholly arbitrary and capricious determination". Both reports included the lawsuit’s assertion that the US had never before opened its waters to deep-sea mining. - The left-rated reports highlighted the cultural and ecological stakes. The Associated Press quoted the lawsuit’s statement that "the Samoan people rely upon a healthy ocean ecosystem" for food, shoreline protection, and cultural practices. It also noted the migration of endangered species between American Samoan and Hawaiian waters, including sea turtles referred to as "i‘a sa" or "sacred fish". - The Associated Press report included a statement from Nick Katkevich of the Center for Biological Diversity, who called the administration’s plans "disgraceful" and warned that deep-sea mining was "too experimental and dangerous for marine life". It also mentioned a separate proposed lease of 69 million acres near the Northern Mariana Islands, which the report said was "widely condemned by scientists and environmentalists". ### Centre - The three centre-rated digests and reports focused on the scale of the proposed auction and the legal challenge. Washington Top News, whose full report was published, led with the size of the lease area, 33 million acres, and the minerals targeted, including nickel, cobalt, and manganese. It noted the lawsuit’s argument that the US must first ensure mining would not destroy critical habitats. - The centre-rated reports included the cultural significance of the area for American Samoa, quoting the lawsuit’s assertion that the ecosystem "has formed the basis of many cultural practices that have existed for over a millennium". Washington Top News also mentioned the ban on harming species considered sacred, such as whales and sharks. - The reports carried the Trump administration’s push to expedite permits and the international context, including the International Seabed Authority’s role in regulating deep-sea mining. None of the centre-rated digests or reports quoted environmentalists or scientists opposing the plan. ### Right - The two right-rated outlets that carried the story reported that Earthjustice filed a lawsuit on 29 July 2026 to block the U.S. government’s plan to auction deep-sea mining leases near American Samoa. Both noted the Trump administration had announced the auction the previous month. - The Washington Times and The Batesville Daily Guard led on the scale of the auction, describing the areas as "massive sections of water" or "massive tracks of water". Neither digest mentioned the environmental concerns raised by Earthjustice or the specific legal arguments in the lawsuit. - Both digests identified Earthjustice as a "legal environmental group" or "nonprofit". Neither included statements from Earthjustice, local officials in American Samoa, or scientific experts on deep-sea mining. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 8 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/18/earthjustice-sues-us-pushes-auction-massive-tracks-water-around) — Nonprofit sues U.S. as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_70b86475-bdab-51a0-8dd3-d5fabf0c66a8.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [The Batesville Daily Guard](https://guardonline.com/news/world/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_2fa78243-e65b-5e70-8fa0-d55815c822e8.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [pmg-ky3.com](https://pmg-ky3.com/ap/ap_news/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_920456f1-4354-5167-89a1-3f5d325e1931.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [WKYC](https://wkyc.com/article/syndication/associatedpress/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/616-5010b43b-75c1-40d9-b444-7534325e9f84) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11076337/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/world/2026/08/18/us-sued-deep-sea-mining-earthjustice-american-samoa/f8dde638-9b4e-11f1-9cc4-2dc9b46e2d5c_story.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/animals-pets/2026/08/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/americas/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_404ea5e5-898d-5c5b-8c50-06d2385b515b.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/life/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_2dcf361d-fc9b-5573-a8cf-280cddeef762.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/national-marine-fisheries-service-american-samoa-donald-trump-howard-lutnick-puerto-rico-b3035287.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/us-sued-deep-sea-mining-earthjustice-american-samoa-ca8adde08a645e0471a017e98c645836) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [SF Gate](https://sfgate.com/news/world/article/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-22393762.php) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/life/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa/article_56f32fdf-0ce1-5f04-bfff-29efbcc41d37.html) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/08/18/nonprofit-sues-us-as-it-pushes-to-auction-massive-tracks-of-water-around-american-samoa) — Nonprofit sues US as it pushes to auction massive tracks of water around American Samoa ## Questions **What is the lawsuit about?** Earthjustice filed a federal lawsuit on 18 August 2026 to block the US government’s plan to auction 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining. The suit argues the plan violates environmental laws and threatens endangered species, including sea turtles and whales. The Trump administration is seeking to expedite mining permits despite international opposition. **Why is the area off American Samoa being auctioned?** The US government plans to auction 33 million acres of seabed off American Samoa for deep-sea mining to extract minerals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese. These minerals are used in batteries and electronics. The Trump administration argues the leases are necessary for national security and economic strength, though the plan faces legal and environmental challenges. **Which outlets covered the story and which did not?** Six left-rated outlets and three centre-rated outlets ran the story, including the Associated Press and Washington Top News, which published full reports. No right-rated outlet covered the lawsuit or the proposed auction. The left emphasised legal and environmental risks, while the centre focused on the scale of the lease area and cultural impacts. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Earthjustice sues US to block deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa", https://mediabias.news/climate/earthjustice-sues-us-to-block-deep-sea-mining-leases-off-american-samoa