An Act to amend the mineral leasing laws to provide for multiple mineral development of the same tracts of the public lands, and for other purposes
PL 83-585 (S.3344), enacted 08/13/1954

708 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
S T A T . 
August 13, 1954 
[S, 3344] 
Public Law 585 
CHAPTER 730 
AN ACT 
To amend the mineral leasing law s and the mining laws to provide for multiple 
mineral development of the same tracts of the pviblic lands, and for other 
purposes. 
Mineral 
leasing 
claims. 
Preference cate-
gories. 
30 u s e 501-504. 
L a b o r and 
provements. 
W i t h d r a w a l of 
lands, etc. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemoled^ That (a) subject to 
the conditions and provisions of this Act 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 leas-
ing 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 Act, 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 the Act of August 12, 1953 (67 
Stat. 539), an amended notice of location as to such mining claim, 
stating that such notice was filed pursuant to the provisions of said 
Act of August 12, 1953, and for the purpose of obtaining the benefits 
thereof: And provided further^ That in order to obtain the benefits of 
this Act, 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 the date of enactment of this Act, must 
post on such claim in the manner required for posting notice of loca-
tion 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 Act 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 cov-
ered by such mining claim, must file with the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion 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 performed or improvements made after the original loca-
tion of and upon or for the benefit of any mining claim which shall be 
entitled to the benefits of this Act under the provisions of subsection 
(a) of this section 1, 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 Act. 
(c) As to any land covered by any mining claim which is entitled 
to the benefits of this Act under the provisions of subsection (a) of 
this section 1, 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 with-
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 586-AUG. 13, 1954 
709 
drawal or reservation, were subject to location under the mining laws 
of the United States. 
SEC. 2. 
(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 Act, 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 
Act, then as to such area of conflict said mining claim so located subse-
quent 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 
Act, 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 the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. (a) Subject to the conditions and provisions of this Act and ^^uranium leases, 
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 the 
date of enactment of this Act, as limited in subsection (b) of this sec-
tion 3, the right to locate mining claims upon the lands covered by said 
application or lease. 
(b) Any rights under any such mining claim so hereafter located 
pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section 3 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 at the date 
of the enactment of this Act or which may acquire validity under the 
provisions of this Act. 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 3, 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 applica-
tions, 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 
3 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 Com-
mission 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 loca-
tion shall be of record. 
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this 
section 3, 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 para-
710 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
Future 
m i n i n g 
claims, etc. 
Mineral reserva-
tion to U. S. 
Location. 
Mining and Leas-
ing Act operations. 
graph (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. 
SEC. 4. Every mining claim or millsite— 
(1) heretofore located under the mining laws of the United 
States which shall be entitled to benefits under the first three 
sections of this Act; or 
(2) located under the mining laws of the United States after 
the effective date of passage of this Act, 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 
6 hereof) 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 neces-
sary for such purposes, and whenever reasonably necessary, for 
the purpose of prospecting for, drilling for, mining, treating, stor-
ing, 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. 
SEC. 5. Subject to the conditions and provisions of this Act, 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 leas-
ing 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. 
SEC. 6. (a) Where 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) Any mining operations pursuant to rights under any unpatented 
or patented mining claim or millsite which shall be subject to a reser-
vation to the United States of Leasing Act minerals as provided in 
this Act, 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 sec-
tion 6, mining operations shall be so conducted as not to endanger or 
materially interfere with any existing surface or underground im-
provements, 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. 
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
711 
(c) Any Leasing Act operations on lands covered by an unpatented 
or patented mining claim or millsite which shall be subject to a reser-
vation to the United States of Leasing Act minerals as provided in 
this Act 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 6, 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 opera-
tions, or with the utilization of such improvements, workings, or 
facilities. 
(d) If, 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 facili-
ties 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 nxed by the 
court as constituting fair compensation for the then reasonably con-
templated 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) Where 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 opera-
tions 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 infor-
mation 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. 
SEC. 7. (a) Any applicant, offeror, permittee, or lessee under the in""'laim1**'* "*"' 
mineral leasing laws may file in the office of the Secretary of the 
712 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
• 
[68 STAT. 
term'Siatf^*'°'*^°' Interior, or in such office as the Secretary may designate, a request for 
Fuing o
f notice, publication of notice of such application, offer, permit, or lease, pro-
vided 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 pos-
session 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 attor-
ney'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 dis-
closed 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 repre-
sentative, 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 neAvspaper 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 
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 585-,AUG. 13, 1954 
713 
such notice), a verified statement which sliall set forth, as to such 
unpatented mining claim: 
(1) The date of location; 
(2) The book and page of recordation of the notice or certifi-
cate 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 4 of this Act, 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 semi 
weekly or triweekly 
paper, in the issue of the same day of each week for nine consecutive 
Aveeks. 
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 
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 afore-
said, 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 7, and shall cause a copy of such notice to be mailed by 
registered mail to each person Avhose name and address is set forth in 
the title or abstract company's or title abstractor's or attorney's cer-
tificate 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 publi-
cation w^as filed an affidavit showing that copies have been so delivered 
or mailed. 
(b) If any claimant under any unpatented mining claim heretofore 
Jocated Avhich embraces any of the lands described in any notice pub-
lished in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this sec-
tion 7 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 other-
wise provided in subsection (e) of this section 7, (i) to constitute a 
Avaiver 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 4 of this Act, and (iii) 
714 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13,1954 
[68 STAT. 
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) If any verified statement shall be filed by a mining claimant as 
provided in subsection (a) of this section 7, 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 m 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 Leas-
ing Act minerals, then no subsequent proceedings under this section 7 
of this Act 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) 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, per-
mit, or lease which may be published as above provided in subsection 
(a) of this section 7, 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 cer-
tificate 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 7 as to personal delivery or mailing of copies of notices and 
in respect to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section 7, 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) If any applicant, offeror, permittee, or lessee shall fail to comply 
with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section 7 as to the 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
715 
jpersonal delivery or mailing of a copy of notice to any person, the pub-
lication 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. 
SEC. 8. The owner or owners of any mining claim heretofore located 
may, at any time prior to issuance of patent therefor, waive and re-
linquish 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 4 of this Act 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. 
SEC. 9. 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 Num-
bered 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 par-
ticular lands under the Mineral Leasing Act, will result in the extrac-
tion or cause loss or waste of the helium-bearing gas in the lands of 
such reserves: Providedy That the lands shall not become subject to 
entry, location, permit, or lease until such time as the Secretary desig-
nates in an order published in the Federal Register: And 
provided 
further^ That the Secretary may at any time as a condition to con-
tinued 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. 
SEC. 10. The Atomic Energy Act is hereby amended as follows: 
(a) Sections (b) (5) is revised to read: 
"(5) ACQUISITION.—The Commission is authorized to the extent it 
deems necessary to effectuate the provisions of this Act— 
"(A) to purchase, take, requisition, condemn, or otherwise ac-
quire supplies of fissionable source materials or any interest in 
real property containing deposits of fissionable source materials; 
and 
"(B) to purchase, take, requisition, condemn, or otherwise ac-
quire rights to enter upon any real property deemed by it to have 
possibilities of containing deposits of fissionable source materials 
and to conduct prospecting and exploratory operations for such 
deposits. 
Any purchase made under this paragraph may be made without regard 
to the provisions of section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (U. S. C, title 
41, sec. 6) upon certification by the Commission that such action is 
necessary in the interest of the common defense and security, or upon 
a showing that advertising is not reasonably practicable, and partial 
and advance payments may be made thereunder. 
The Commission 
may establish guaranteed prices for all fissionable source materials 
delivered to it within a specified time. Just compensation shall be 
H e r e t o f ore lo-
cated claims. 
Relinquishment 
of mineral rights. 
H e l i u m l a n d s 
subject to entry. 
41 Stat. 437. 
30 u s e 22, 181 
et seq. 
P u b l i c a t i o n of 
order in FR. 
60 Stat. 761. 
42 u s e 1805 (b) 
(5). 
Post, 
p. 919. 
F i s s i o n a b l e 
source materials. 
716 
PUBLIC LAW 585-AUG. 13, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
42 u s e 1805 (b) 
(6). 
42 u s e 1805 (b) 
(7). 
42 u s e 1 8 0 1 
note. 
Supra, 
30 u s e 501-505. 
30 u s e 503. 
"Mineral l e a s -
ing laws." 
48 u s e 432-451. 
3 0 u s e 
22-287 
passim. 
"L, e a s i n g Act 
minerals." 
"L e a s i n g Act 
operations." 
"Mining o p e r a -
tions." 
made for any property or interest in property purchased, taken, requi-
sitioned, condemned, or otherwise acquired under this paragraph." 
(b) Sections (b) (6) is revised to read: 
"(6) 
OPERATIONS ON LANDS BELONGING TO THE UNITED STATES.— 
The Commission is authorized, to the extent it deems necessary to 
effectuate the provisions of this Act, to issue leases or permits for 
prospecting for, exploration for, mining, or removal of deposits of 
fissionable source materials (or for any or all of these purposes) in 
lands belonging to the United States: Provided, That, notwithstand-
ing any other provisions of law, such leases or permits may be issued 
for lands administered for national park, monument, and wildlife 
purposes only when the President, by Executive order, finds and 
declares that such action is necessary in the interests of national 
defense." 
(c) Sections (b) (7) is revised to read: 
"(7) PUBLIC LANDS.—No individual, corporation, partnership, or 
association, which had any part, directly or indirectly, in the develop-
ment of the atomic energy program, may benefit by any location, entry, 
or settlement upon the public domain made after such individual, 
corporation, partnership, or association took part in such program, if 
such individual, corporation, partnership, or association, by reason of 
having had such part in the development of the atomic energy pro-
gram, acquired confidential official information as to the existence of 
deposits of such uranium, thorium, or other fissionable source mate-
rials in the specific lands upon which such location, entry, or settlement 
is made, and subsequent to the date of the enactment of this Act made 
such location, entry, or settlement or cause the same to be made for his, 
or its, or their benefit. In cases where any patent, conveyance, lease, 
permit, or other authorization has been issued, which reserved to the 
United States fissionable source materials and the right to enter upon 
the land and prospect for, mine, and remove the same, the head of the 
department or agency which issued the patent, conveyance, lease, per-
mit, or other authorization shall, on application of the holder thereof, 
issue a new or supplemental patent, conveyance, lease, permit, or other 
authorization without such reservation." 
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, and 
particularly section 5 (b) (7) thereof, prior to its amendment hereby, 
or the provisions of the Act of August 12, 1953 (67 Stat. 539), and 
particularly section 3 thereof, any mining claim, heretofore located 
under the mining laws of the United States, for, or based upon a dis-
covery of a mineral deposit which is a fissionable source material and 
which, except for the possible contrary construction of said Atomic 
Energy Act, would have been locatable under such mining laws, shall, 
insofar as adversely affected by such possible contrary construction, 
be valid and effective, in all respects to the same extent as if said 
mineral deposit were a locatable mineral deposit other than a fission-
able source material. 
SEC. 11. AS used in this Act "mineral leasing laws" shall mean the 
Act of October 20, 1914 (38 Stat. 741) ; the Act of February 25, 1920 
(41 Stat. 437) ; the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 301); the Act of 
February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057) ; and all Acts heretofore or here-
after enacted which are amendatory of or supplementary to any of 
the foregoing Acts; "Leasing Act minerals" shall mean all minerals 
which, upon the effective date of this Act, are provided in the mineral 
leasing laws 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 remov-
ing Leasing Act minerals; "mining operations" shall mean operations 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 586-AUG. 13, 1954 
717 
under any unpatented or patented mining claim or millsite in or inci-
dental 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; 
"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 ura-
nium, thorium, and all other materials referred to in section 5 (b) (1) 
of the Atomic Energy Act 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, partner-
ship, or other legal entity. 
SEC. 12. Nothing in this Act 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. 
SEC. 13. If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provi-
sion to any person or circumstances, is held unconstitutional, invalid, 
or unenforcible, the remainder of this Act or the application of such 
provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it 
is held unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforcible, shall not be affected 
thereby. 
Approved August 13, 1954. 
" L e a s i n g Act 
operator." 
' 'Mining opera-
tor." 
42 u s e 
1801 
note.. 
"AEC." 
" F i s s i o n a b l e 
source material." 
42 u s e 1805 (b) 
(1). 
"Uranium lease 
application. " 
"U r a n i u m 
lease." 
"Person," 
Requirement. 
Separability. 
Public Law 586 
CHAPTER 731 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act of April 6, 1937, as amended, to include cooperation with the 
Governments of Canada or Mexico or local Canadian or Mexican authorities 
for the control of incipient or emergency outbreaks of insect pests or plant 
diseases. 
August 13, 1954 
[S. 3697] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Cmigress assembled^ That section 1 of 
the Act of April 6, 1937, as amended (7 U. S. C. 148), is further 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: "The Secretary 
of Agriculture is further authorized to cooperate with the Govern-
ments of Canada or Mexico or local Canadian or Mexican authorities 
in carrying out in such countries necessary operations or measures to 
control incipient or emergency outbreaks of insect pests or plant 
diseases, when such operations or measures are necessary to protect 
the agriculture of the United States. In performing the operations 
or measures authorized under this Act, the cooperating foreign coun-
try. State, or local agency shall be responsible for the authority neces-
sary to carry out the operations or measures on all lands and 
properties within the foreign country or State other than those owned 
or controlled by the Federal Government and for such other facilities 
and means as in the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture are 
necessary." 
Approved August 13, 1954. 
Insect pest con-
trol, 
eanadian-Me x i-
can cooperation. 
52 Stat. 344.