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Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102

§284 Lands Containing Coal or Other Minerals in Addition to Potassium Deposits; Issuance of Prospecting Permits and Leases; Covenants in Potassium Leases

Title 30 › CHAPTER 3A — LEASES AND PROSPECTING PERMITS › SUBCHAPTER IX — POTASH › § 284

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lets the government give permits or leases to look for or mine potassium on public land that also has coal or other minerals, but keeps those other minerals for the United States to handle under other laws. Leases can let the miner develop certain nearby salts (for example, some chlorides or sulfates and other sodium, magnesium, aluminum, or calcium salts) if those terms don’t conflict with the sodium rules in subchapter VII. Minerals found in fissure veins that are covered by the general mining laws stay under those mining laws even if they contain potash.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §284

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Prospecting permits or leases may be issued under the provisions of this subchapter for deposits of potassium in public lands, also containing deposits of coal or other minerals, on condition that such other deposits be reserved to the United States for disposal under appropriate laws: Provided, That if the interests of the Government and of the lessee will be subserved thereby, potassium leases may include covenants providing for the development by the lessee of chlorides, sulphates, carbonates, borates, silicates, or nitrates of sodium, magnesium, aluminum, or calcium, associated with the potassium deposits leased, on terms and conditions not inconsistent with the sodium provisions of subchapter VII of this chapter: Provided further, That where valuable deposits of mineral now subject to disposition under the general mining laws are found in fissure veins on any of the lands subject to permit or lease under this subchapter, the valuable minerals so found shall continue subject to disposition under the said general mining laws notwithstanding the presence of potash therein.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The sodium provisions of subchapter VII of this chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “the sodium provisions of the Act of February 25, 1920 (Forty-first Statutes at Large, page 437)”, which means sections 23 to 25 of act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 447, which are classified to subchapter VII (§ 261 et seq.) of this chapter. Codification Section was not enacted as part of act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, known as the Mineral Leasing Act, which comprises this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 284

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102