Environmentalists are reportedly planning to push back against a White House proposal to mine a Delaware-sized mineral deposit off the coast of Virginia.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is seeking comments this month to consider leasing parts of the offshore deposit for mining, Virginia Mercury reported Wednesday. This move is reportedly part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to make America mine her own minerals again.

BOEM, USGS, SELC, and Environment Virginia did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The mineral-rich sands in the area’s outer continental shelf often contain “titanium, zirconium, and rare earth elements,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Such resources are “needed to manufacture … modern electronics for consumer and defense application.”

“Virginia’s offshore mineral resources present a pathway to lessen foreign dependence and reinforce America’s strategic position by establishing secure domestic supply chains,” BOEM Acting Director Matt Diacona reportedly said.

The proposal follows an April 2025 executive order President Donald Trump signed to accelerate offshore mining as a way for “America’s economic and strategic advantage.”

Not everyone is happy about the proposal.

“From dolphins breaching the waves to seabirds soaring above our heads, a visit to Virginia’s coast is a reminder of the vibrant ecosystems we are lucky enough to have right over the horizon. Ripping up vast swaths of the seafloor puts this ocean heritage at risk,” Environment Virginia State Director Elly Wilson reportedly said.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is preparing to fight the potential lease, according to Virginia Mercury.

“This beloved public resource belongs to the people, not private, extractive industry. Opening Virginia’s federal waters to seabed mining would put countless essential resources at risk, and that’s not a risk we can or should take,” SELC attorney Megan Huynh reportedly said.

While the Virginia General Assembly banned leasing natural gas production within 50 miles of Virginia shores in 2020 following two earlier BOEM proposals, the law still permits mining minerals, according to Virginia Mercury.

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger appointed SELC attorney Josephus Allmond to be Virginia’s first Chief Energy Officer, the DCNF reported in March 2026. Spanberger campaigned on “long-term” green energy goals such as offshore windmills, the DCNF previously reported.

BOEM’s public comment period ends July 23.

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