USC Chapter 12

in effect

30 U.S.C. § 521 Mineral leasing claims

(a) Preference categoriesSubject to the conditions and provisions of this chapter and to any valid intervening rights acquired under the laws of the United States, any mining claim located under the mining laws of the United States subsequent to July 31, 1939, and prior to February 10, 1954, on lands of the United States, which at the time of location were—(1) included in a permit or lease issued under the mineral leasing laws; or (2) covered by an application or offer for a permit or lease which had been filed under the mineral leasing laws; or (3) known to be valuable for minerals subject to disposition under the mineral leasing laws, shall be effective to the same extent in all respects as if such lands at the time of location, and at all times thereafter, had not been so included or covered or known: Provided, however, That, in order to be entitled to the benefits of this chapter, the owner of any such mining claim located prior to January 1, 1953, must have posted and filed for record, within the time allowed by the provisions of chapter 11 of this title, an amended notice of location as to such mining claim, stating that such notice was filed pursuant to the provisions of said chapter 11 and for the purpose of obtaining the benefits thereof: And provided further, That in order to obtain the benefits of this chapter, the owner of any such mining claim located subsequent to December 31, 1952, and prior to February 10, 1954, not later than one hundred and twenty days after August 13, 1954, must post on such claim in the manner required for posting notice of location of mining claims and file for record in the office where the notice or certificate of location of such claim is of record an amended notice of location for such claim, stating that such notice is filed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and for the purpose of obtaining the benefits thereof and, within said one hundred and twenty day period, if such owner shall have filed a uranium lease application as to the tract covered by such mining claim, must file with the Atomic Energy Commission a withdrawal of such uranium lease application or, if a uranium lease shall have issued pursuant thereto, a release of such lease, and must record a notice of the filing of such withdrawal or release in the county office wherein such notice or certificate of location shall have been filed for record. (b) Labor and improvementsLabor performed or improvements made after the original location of and upon or for the benefit of any mining claim which shall be entitled to the benefits of this chapter under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, shall be recognized as applicable to such mining claim for all purposes to the same extent as if the validity of such mining claim were in no respect dependent upon the provisions of this chapter. (c) Withdrawal or reservation of landsAs to any land covered by any mining claim which is entitled to the benefits of this chapter under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any withdrawal or reservation of lands made after the original location of such mining claim is hereby modified and amended so that the effect thereof upon such mining claim shall be the same as if such mining claim had been located upon lands of the United States which, subsequent to July 31, 1939, and prior to the date of such withdrawal or reservation, were subject to location under the mining laws of the United States.

30 U.S.C. § 522 Conflicting periods of location of claims

(a) If any mining claim which shall have been located subsequent to December 31, 1952, and prior to December 11, 1953, and which shall be entitled to the benefits of this chapter, shall cover any lands embraced within any mining claim which shall have been located prior to January 1, 1953, and which shall be entitled to the benefits of this chapter, then as to such area of conflict said mining claim so located subsequent to December 31, 1952, shall be deemed to have been located December 11, 1953. (b) If any mining claim hereafter located shall cover any lands embraced within any mining claim which shall have been located prior to February 10, 1954, and which shall be entitled to the benefits of this chapter, then as to such area of conflict said mining claim hereafter located shall be deemed to have been located one hundred and twenty-one days after August 13, 1954.

30 U.S.C. § 523 Uranium leases

(a) Right to locate mining claimsSubject to the conditions and provisions of this chapter and to any valid prior rights acquired under the laws of the United States, the owner of any pending uranium lease application or of any uranium lease shall have, for a period of one hundred and twenty days after August 13, 1954, as limited in subsection (b) of this section, the right to locate mining claims upon the lands covered by said application or lease. (b) Priorities and conflicting rights; termination of rightsAny rights under any such mining claim so hereafter located pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to any rights of the owner of any mining claim which was located prior to February 10, 1954, and which was valid on August 13, 1954 or which may acquire validity under the provisions of this chapter. As to any lands covered by a uranium lease and also by a pending uranium lease application, the right of mining location under this section, as between the owner of said lease and the owner of said application, shall be deemed as to such conflict area to be vested in the owner of said lease. As to any lands embraced in more than one such pending uranium lease application, such right of mining location, as between the owners of such conflicting applications, shall be deemed to be vested in the owner of the prior application. Priority of such an application shall be determined by the time of posting on a tract then available for such leasing of a notice of lease application in accordance with paragraph (c) of the Atomic Energy Commission’s Domestic Uranium Program Circular 7 (10 C.F.R. 60.7 (c)) provided there shall have been timely compliance with the other provisions of said paragraph (c) or, if there shall not have been such timely compliance, then by the time of the filing of the uranium lease application with the Atomic Energy Commission. Any rights under any mining claim located under the provisions of this section shall terminate at the expiration of thirty days after the filing for record of the notice or certificate of location of such mining claim unless, within said thirty-day period, the owner of the uranium lease application or uranium lease upon which the location of such mining claim was predicated shall have filed with the Atomic Energy Commission a withdrawal of said application or a release of said lease and shall have recorded a notice of the filing of such withdrawal or release in the county office wherein such notice or certificate of location shall be of record. (c) Future claims on lands covered by application or leaseExcept as otherwise provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, no mining claim hereafter located shall be valid as to any lands which at the time of such location were covered by a uranium lease application or a uranium lease. Any tract upon which a notice of lease application has been posted in accordance with said paragraph (c) of said Circular 7 shall be deemed to have been included in a uranium lease application from and after the time of the posting of such notice of lease application: Provided, That there shall have been timely compliance with the other provisions of said paragraph (c) or, if there shall not have been such timely compliance, then from and after the time of the filing of a uranium lease application with the Atomic Energy Commission.

30 U.S.C. § 524 Reservation of minerals to United States

Every mining claim or millsite— (1) heretofore located under the mining laws of the United States which shall be entitled to benefits under sections 521 to 523 of this title; or (2) located under the mining laws of the United States after August 13, 1954 shall be subject, prior to issuance of a patent therefor, to a reservation to the United States of all Leasing Act minerals and of the right (as limited in section 526 of this title) of the United States, its lessees, permittees, and licensees to enter upon the land covered by such mining claim or millsite and to prospect for, drill for, mine, treat, store, transport, and remove Leasing Act minerals and to use so much of the surface and subsurface of such mining claim or millsite as may be necessary for such purposes, and whenever reasonably necessary, for the purpose of prospecting for, drilling for, mining, treating, storing, transporting, and removing Leasing Act minerals on and from other lands; and any patent issued for any such mining claim or millsite shall contain such reservation as to, but only as to, such lands covered thereby which at the time of the issuance of such patent were—(a) included in a permit or lease issued under the mineral leasing laws; or (b) covered by an application or offer for a permit or lease filed under the mineral leasing laws; or (c) known to be valuable for minerals subject to disposition under the mineral leasing laws.

30 U.S.C. § 525 Future location of claims on mineral lands

Subject to the conditions and provisions of this chapter, mining claims and millsites may hereafter be located under the mining laws of the United States on lands of the United States which at the time of location are— (a) included in a permit or lease issued under the mineral leasing laws; or (b) covered by an application or offer for a permit or lease filed under the mineral leasing laws; or (c) known to be valuable for minerals subject to disposition under the mineral leasing laws; to the same extent in all respects as if such lands were not so included or covered or known.

30 U.S.C. § 526 Mining and Leasing Act operations

(a) Multiple useWhere the same lands are being utilized for mining operations and Leasing Act operations, each of such operations shall be conducted, so far as reasonably practicable, in a manner compatible with such multiple use. (b) Mining operations to avoid damage to mineral deposits and interference with mineral operationsAny mining operations pursuant to rights under any unpatented or patented mining claim or millsite which shall be subject to a reservation to the United States of Leasing Act minerals as provided in this chapter, shall be conducted, so far as reasonably practicable, in a manner which will avoid damage to any known deposit of any Leasing Act mineral. Subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, mining operations shall be so conducted as not to endanger or materially interfere with any existing surface or underground improvements, workings, or facilities which may have been made for the purpose of Leasing Act operations, or with the utilization of such improvements, workings, or facilities. (c) Leasing Act operations to avoid damage to mineral deposits and interference with mining operationsAny Leasing Act operations on lands covered by an unpatented or patented mining claim or millsite which shall be subject to a reservation to the United States of Leasing Act minerals as provided in this chapter shall be conducted, so far as reasonably practicable, in a manner which will avoid damage to any known deposit of any mineral not so reserved from such mining claim or millsite. Subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, Leasing Act operations shall be so conducted as not to endanger or materially interfere with any existing surface or underground improvements, workings, or facilities which may have been made for the purpose of mining operations, or with the utilization of such improvements, workings, or facilities. (d) Damage or interference permitted by courtIf, upon petition of either the mining operator or the Leasing Act operator, any court of competent jurisdiction shall find that a particular use in connection with one of such operations cannot be reasonably and properly conducted without endangering or materially interfering with the then existing improvements, workings, or facilities of the other of such operations or with the utilization thereof, and shall find that under the conditions and circumstances, as they then appear, the injury or damage which would result from denial of such particular use would outweigh the injury or damage which would result to such then existing improvements, workings, or facilities or from interference with the utilization thereof if that particular use were allowed, then and in such event such court may permit such use upon payment (or upon furnishing of security determined by the court to be adequate to secure payment) to the party or parties who would be thus injured or damaged, of an amount to be fixed by the court as constituting fair compensation for the then reasonably contemplated injury or damage which would result to such then existing improvements, workings, or facilities or from interference with the utilization thereof by reason of the allowance of such particular use. (e) Information regarding operations to be furnished on requestWhere the same lands are being utilized for mining operations and Leasing Act operations, then upon request of the party conducting either of said operations, the party conducting the other of said operations shall furnish to and at the expense of such requesting party copies of any information which said other party may have, as to the situs of any improvements, workings, or facilities theretofore made upon such lands, and upon like request, shall permit such requesting party, at the risk of such requesting party, to have access at reasonable times to any such improvements, workings, or facilities for the purpose of surveying and checking or determining the situs thereof. If damage to or material interference with a party’s improvements, workings, facilities, or with the utilization thereof shall result from such party’s failure, after request, to so furnish to the requesting party such information or from denial of such access, such failure or denial shall relieve the requesting party of any liability for the damage or interference resulting by reason of such failure or denial. Failure of a party to furnish requested information or access shall not impose upon such party any liability to the requesting party other than for such costs of court and attorney’s fees as may be allowed to the requesting party in enforcing by court action the obligations of this section as to the furnishing of information and access. The obligation hereunder of any party to furnish requested information shall be limited to map and survey information then available to such party with respect to the situs of improvements, workings, and facilities and the furnishing thereof shall not be deemed to constitute any representation as to the accuracy of such information.

30 U.S.C. § 527 Determination of unpatented mining claims

(a) Filing of notice Any applicant, offeror, permittee, or lessee under the mineral leasing laws may file in the office of the Secretary of the Interior, or in such office as the Secretary may designate, a request for publication of notice of such application, offer, permit, or lease, provided expressly, that not less than ninety days prior to the filing of such request for publication there shall have been filed for record in the county office of record for the county in which the lands covered thereby are situate a notice of the filing of such application or offer or of the issuance of such permit or lease which notice shall set forth the date of such filing or issuance, the name and address of the applicant, offeror, permittee or lessee and the description of the lands covered by such application, offer, permit or lease, showing the section or sections of the public land surveys which embrace the lands covered by such application, offer, permit, or lease, or if such lands are unsurveyed, either the section or sections which would probably embrace such lands when the public lands surveys are extended to such lands or a tie by courses and distances to an approved United States mineral monument. The filing of such request for publication shall be accompanied by a certified copy of such recorded notice and an affidavit or affidavits of a person or persons over twenty-one years of age setting forth that the affiant or affiants have examined the lands involved in a reasonable effort to ascertain whether any person or persons were in actual possession of or engaged in the working of such lands or any part thereof, and, if no person or persons were found to be in actual possession of or engaged in the working of said lands or any part thereof on the date of such examination, setting forth such fact, or, if any person or persons were so found to be in actual possession or engaged in such working on the date of such examination, setting forth the name and address of each such person, unless affiant shall have been unable through reasonable inquiry to obtain information as to the name and address of any such person, in which event the affidavit shall set forth fully the nature and results of such inquiry. The filing of such request for publication shall also be accompanied by the certificate of a title or abstract company, or of a title abstractor, or of an attorney, based upon such company’s, abstractor’s, or attorney’s examination of the instruments affecting the lands involved, of record in the public records of the county in which said lands are situate as shown by the indices of the public records in the county office of record for said county, setting forth the name of any person disclosed by said instruments to have an interest in said lands under any unpatented mining claim heretofore located, together with the address of such person if disclosed by such instruments of record. Thereupon the Secretary of the Interior, or his designated representative, at the expense of the requesting person (who, prior to the commencement of publication, must furnish the agreement of the publisher to hold such requesting person alone responsible for charges of publication), shall cause notice of such application, offer, permit, or lease to be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the county in which the lands involved are situate. Such notice shall describe the lands covered by such application, offer, permit, or lease, as provided heretofore in the notice to be filed in the office of record of the county in which the lands covered are situate, and shall notify whomever it may concern that if any person claiming or asserting under, or by virtue of, any unpatented mining claim heretofore located, any right or interest in Leasing Act minerals as to such lands or any part thereof, shall fail to file in the office where such request for publication was filed (which office shall be specified in such notice) and within one hundred fifty days from the date of the first publication of such notice (which date shall be specified in such notice), a verified statement which shall set forth, as to such unpatented mining claim: (1) The date of location; (2) The book and page of recordation of the notice or certificate of location; (3) The section or sections of the public land surveys which embrace such mining claim; or if such lands are unsurveyed, either the section or sections which would probably embrace such mining claim when the public land surveys are extended to such lands or a tie by courses and distances to an approved United States mineral monument; (4) Whether such claimant is a locator or purchaser under such location; and (5) The name and address of such claimant and names and addresses so far as known to the claimant of any other person or persons claiming any interest or interests in or under such unpatented mining claim; such failure shall be conclusively deemed (i) to constitute a waiver and relinquishment by such mining claimant of any and all right, title, and interest under such mining claim as to, but only as to, Leasing Act minerals, and (ii) to constitute a consent by such mining claimant that such mining claim and any patent issued therefor, shall be subject to the reservation specified in section 524 of this title, and (iii) to preclude thereafter any assertion by such mining claimant of any right or title to or interest in any Leasing Act mineral by reason of such mining claim. If such notice is published in a daily paper, it shall be published in the Wednesday issue for nine consecutive weeks, or, if in a weekly paper, in nine consecutive issues, or, if in a semiweekly or triweekly paper, in the issue of the same day of each week for nine consecutive weeks. Within fifteen days after the date of first publication of such notice, the person requesting such publication (1) shall cause a copy of such notice to be personally delivered to or to be mailed by registered mail or by certified mail addressed to each person in possession or engaged in the working of the land whose name and address is shown by an affidavit filed as aforesaid, and to each person who may have filed, as to any lands described in said notice, a request for notices, as provided in subsection (d) of this section, and shall cause a copy of such notice to be mailed by registered mail or by certified mail to each person whose name and address is set forth in the title or abstract company’s or title abstractor’s or attorney’s certificate filed as aforesaid, as having an interest in the lands described in said notice under any unpatented mining claim heretofore located, such notice to be directed to such person’s address as set forth in such certificate; and (2) shall file in the office where said request for publication was filed an affidavit showing that copies have been so delivered or mailed. (b) Failure to file verified statement If any claimant under any unpatented mining claim heretofore located which embraces any of the lands described in any notice published in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall fail to file a verified statement, as above provided, within one hundred and fifty days from the date of the first publication of such notice, such failure shall be conclusively deemed, except as otherwise provided in subsection (e) of this section, (i) to constitute a waiver and relinquishment by such mining claimant of any and all right, title, and interest under such mining claim as to, but only as to, Leasing Act minerals, and (ii) to constitute a consent by such mining claimant that such mining claim and any patent issued therefor, shall be subject to the reservation specified in section 524 of this title, and (iii) to preclude thereafter any assertion by such mining claimant of any right or title to or interest in any Leasing Act mineral by reason of such mining claim. (c) Hearings If any verified statement shall be filed by a mining claimant as provided in subsection (a) of this section, then the Secretary of the Interior or his designated representative shall fix a time and place for a hearing to determine the validity and effectiveness of the mining claimant’s asserted right or interest in Leasing Act minerals, which place of hearing shall be in the county where the lands in question or parts thereof are located, unless the mining claimant agrees otherwise. The procedures with respect to notice of such a hearing and the conduct thereof, and in respect to appeals shall follow the then established general procedures and rules of practice of the Department of the Interior in respect to contests or protests affecting public lands of the United States. If, pursuant to such a hearing the final decision rendered in the matter shall affirm the validity and effectiveness of any mining claimant’s right or interest under the mining claim as to Leasing Act minerals, then no subsequent proceedings under this section shall have any force or effect upon the so-affirmed right or interest of such mining claimant under such mining claim. If at any time prior to a hearing the person requesting publication of notice and any person filing a verified statement pursuant to such notice shall so stipulate, then to the extent so stipulated, but only to such extent, no hearing shall be held with respect to rights asserted under that verified statement, and to the extent defined by the stipulation the rights asserted under that verified statement shall be deemed to be unaffected by that particular published notice. (d) Request for copy of notice Any person claiming any right in Leasing Act minerals under or by virtue of any unpatented mining claim heretofore located and desiring to receive a copy of any notice of any application, offer, permit, or lease which may be published as above provided in subsection (a) of this section, and which may affect lands embraced in such mining claim, may cause to be filed for record in the county office of record where the notice or certificate of location of such mining claim shall have been recorded, a duly acknowledged request for a copy of any such notice. Such request for copies shall set forth the name and address of the person requesting copies and shall also set forth, as to each mining claim under which such person asserts rights in Leasing Act minerals: (1) the date of location; (2) the book and page of the recordation of the notice or certificate of location; and (3) the section or sections of the public land surveys which embrace such mining claim; or if such lands are unsurveyed, either the section or sections which would probably embrace such mining claim when the public land surveys are extended to such lands or a tie by courses and distances to an approved United States mineral monument. Other than in respect to the requirements of subsection (a) of this section as to personal delivery or mailing of copies of notices and in respect to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, no such request for copies of published notices and no statement or allegation in such request and no recordation thereof shall affect title to any mining claim or to any land or be deemed to constitute constructive notice to any person that the person requesting copies has, or claims, any right, title, or interest in or under any mining claim referred to in such request. (e) Failure to deliver or mail copy of notice If any applicant, offeror, permittee, or lessee shall fail to comply with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section as to the personal delivery or mailing of a copy of notice to any person, the publication of such notice shall be deemed wholly ineffectual as to that person or as to the rights asserted by that person and the failure of that person to file a verified statement, as provided in such notice, shall in no manner affect, diminish, prejudice or bar any rights of that person.

30 U.S.C. § 528 Waiver and relinquishment of mineral rights

The owner or owners of any mining claim heretofore located may, at any time prior to issuance of patent therefor, waive and relinquish all rights thereunder to Leasing Act minerals. The execution and acknowledgment of such a waiver and relinquishment by such owner or owners and the recordation thereof in the office where the notice or certificate of location of such mining claim is of record shall render such mining claim thereafter subject to the reservation referred to in section 524 of this title and any patent issued therefor shall contain such a reservation, but no such waiver or relinquishment shall be deemed in any manner to constitute any concession as to the date of priority of rights under said mining claim or as to the validity thereof.

30 U.S.C. § 529 Helium lands subject to entry

Lands withdrawn from the public domain which are within (a) Helium Reserve Numbered 1, pursuant to Executive orders of March 21, 1924, and January 28, 1926, and (b) Helium Reserve Numbered 2 pursuant to Executive Order 6184 of June 26, 1933, shall be subject to entry and location under the mining laws of the United States, and to permit and lease under the mineral leasing laws, upon determination by the Secretary of the Interior, based upon available geologic and other information, that there is no reasonable probability that operations pursuant to entry or location of the particular lands under the mining laws, or pursuant to a permit or lease of the particular lands under the Mineral Leasing Act [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], will result in the extraction or cause loss or waste of the helium-bearing gas in the lands of such reserves: Provided, That the lands shall not become subject to entry, location, permit or lease until such time as the Secretary designates in an order published in the Federal Register: And provided further, That the Secretary may at any time as a condition to continued mineral operations require the entryman, locator, permittee or lessee to take such measures either above or below the surface of the lands as the Secretary deems necessary to prevent loss or waste of the helium-bearing gas.

30 U.S.C. § 530 Definitions

As used in this chapter “mineral leasing laws” shall mean the Act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 437) [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.]; the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 301) [30 U.S.C. 271 et seq.]; the Act of February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057) [30 U.S.C. 281 et seq.]; Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.]; and all Acts heretofore or hereafter enacted which are amendatory of or supplementary to any of the foregoing Acts; “Leasing Act minerals” shall mean all minerals which, upon August 13, 1954, are provided in the mineral leasing laws to be disposed of thereunder and all geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources which, upon the effective date of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, are provided in that Act to be disposed of thereunder; “Leasing Act operations” shall mean operations conducted under a lease, permit, or license issued under the mineral leasing laws in or incidental to prospecting for, drilling for, mining, treating, storing, transporting, or removing Leasing Act minerals; “mining operations” shall mean operations under any unpatented or patented mining claim or millsite in or incidental to prospecting for, mining, treating, storing, transporting, or removing minerals other than Leasing Act minerals and any other use under any claim of right or title based upon such mining claim or millsite; “Leasing Act operator” shall mean any party who shall conduct Leasing Act operations; “mining operator” shall mean any party who shall conduct mining operations; “Atomic Energy Act” shall mean the Act of August 1, 1946 (60 Stat. 755), as amended [42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.]; “Atomic Energy Commission” shall mean the United States Atomic Energy Commission established under the Atomic Energy Act or any amendments thereof; “fissionable source material” shall mean uranium, thorium, and all other materials referred to in section 5(b)(1) of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, as reserved or to be reserved to the United States; “uranium lease application” shall mean an application for a uranium lease filed with said Commission with respect to lands which would be open for entry under the mining laws except for their being lands embraced within an offer, application, permit, or lease under the mineral leasing laws or lands known to be valuable for minerals leasable under those laws; “uranium lease” shall mean a uranium mining lease issued by said Commission with respect to any such lands; and “person” shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity.

30 U.S.C. § 531 Approval of United States officials

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to waive, amend, or repeal the requirement of any provision of any law for approval of any official of the United States whose approval prior to prospecting, exploring, or mining would be required.