Comment from Anonymous

To Whom It May Concern,I am a Mid-Atlantic resident and an avid offshore fisherman. I strongly urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to halt the leasing process for seabed mining off Virginia’s coast due to the severe, cascading risks it poses to marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and existing regional ocean uses.The Virginia coast and its adjacent waters are among the most biologically productive and economically significant areas on the Eastern Seaboard. This region provides critical habitat and essential migratory corridors for several federally protected species, including North Atlantic right whales, fin whales, humpback whales, four species of sea turtles, and Atlantic sturgeon. Furthermore, Virginia’s commercial fisheries rank third in overall U.S. landings, acting as an economic engine that supports livelihoods across multiple states along the coast. The proposed lease area also intersects with vital military operations areas, including formally designated "danger zones" containing unexploded munitions and explosives of concern.Wildlife, regional fisheries, and coastal communities rely on clean, healthy water. Heavy mineral sand and marine phosphate mining would catastrophically disrupt benthic ecosystems. Industrial-scale dredging risks liberating legacy PCBs, heavy metals, and other toxic contaminants currently sequestered safely in seafloor sediments. Reintroducing these toxins into the water column will inevitably cause bioaccumulation in the marine food chain, potentially devastating commercial and recreational fisheries.Additionally, the continuous noise and light pollution generated by industrial mining machinery threaten to disrupt the feeding, reproduction, and navigation behaviors of sensitive marine wildlife. While public data remains limited regarding the exact depth or duration of these proposed operations, any significant alteration to seabed topography will inevitably disrupt wave energy. Such changes could severely worsen storm surge, accelerate coastal erosion, and compromise shoreline stability at a time when climate change is already driving rising sea levels and more destructive storms.Other nations have rejected marine mining proposals as too environmentally risky, and the United States should follow that precedent. I urge BOEM to protect our shared coastal heritage and decline to move forward with the proposed lease sales for seabed mining off the Atlantic coast.Sincerely,A Concerned Mid-Atlantic Resident & Recreational Fisherman