Independent coverage of The Metals CompanyNot affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Metals Company Inc. or its subsidiaries.
TRACKER

NOAA Permit Tracker

See where TMC’s U.S. applications stand, what happens next, and which dates come from TMC rather than NOAA.

WHERE TMC IS NOW

TMC’s Application A is in certification review.

Current stage
Certification review, company-reported
Next public proof
NOAA records its Application A certification decision
Commercial mining permit
Not issued
Verified
Application A and Application B are separate.

NOAA lists a May 26 certification for Application B, which seeks an exploration license. Application A also seeks a commercial-recovery permit. NOAA’s public page does not show Application A as certified.

Check NOAA’s live status page
  1. Reported complete

    Consolidated application filed

    TMC says TMC USA filed the consolidated USA-A exploration-license and commercial-recovery-permit application on January 22, 2026.

    Company-reported in an SEC-filed exhibit
  2. Reported complete

    Substantial compliance

    TMC reported that NOAA reached this procedural finding in March 2026.

    Company-reported
  3. Reported complete

    Full compliance

    TMC reported that NOAA found the consolidated application fully compliant in late April 2026. This is not permit issuance.

    Company-reported in an SEC-filed exhibit
  4. Current gate

    Certification review

    TMC's Form 10-Q says the consolidated application is in certification review. NOAA's public page does not list Application A as certified.

    Current company-reported stage; official completion not posted
  5. Still ahead

    Environmental review and draft terms

    Agency review, a draft environmental impact statement, and proposed license or permit terms remain ahead.

    Pending
  6. Still ahead

    Public and interagency review

    Draft materials and proposed terms must move through the applicable public and interagency process.

    Pending
  7. Still ahead

    Final record and decision

    A final environmental record and NOAA decision come before any issued commercial-recovery permit. NOAA currently lists no existing commercial-recovery permit for TMC USA.

    Pending; no issued commercial-recovery permit
WORKING TIMELINE

TMC targets Q1 2027. NOAA has not set that deadline.

TMC says it expects the process to conclude before March 31, 2027. NOAA has not promised that outcome or date.

COMPANY TARGETBy Mar. 31, 2027

Issuer guidance. Forward-looking. Approval, timing, and conditions remain uncertain.

AGENCY TIMINGReview periods can be extended

Federal rules include review targets, written extensions, and public-comment steps. They do not guarantee a permit date.

WATCH NEXTCertification → draft EIS

Then proposed terms, at least 60 days of public comment and a hearing, a final EIS, and NOAA’s decision.

Bottom line: Q1 2027 is TMC’s stated target. Extensions can push the process later, and approval remains unresolved.

Receipts behind this tracker

Official sources

Change log

When a reviewed public status changes, this tracker will show the event date, source, procedural term, and the remaining gate. Parser changes and unreviewed monitoring events stay private.