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Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102

§530 Definitions

Title 30 › CHAPTER 12 — MULTIPLE MINERAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAME TRACTS › § 530

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used for mineral leasing and related mining rules. It lists which older laws count as the "mineral leasing laws" and then gives short meanings for several terms. "Mineral leasing laws" means 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.]; the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.]; and any laws that amend or add to those acts. "Leasing Act minerals" means the minerals those laws covered as of August 13, 1954, plus geothermal steam and related geothermal resources as covered on the effective date of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. "Leasing Act operations" means work under a lease, permit, or license to find, drill, mine, treat, store, move, or remove those minerals. "Mining operations" means similar work under mining claims or millsites for minerals that are not Leasing Act minerals. "Leasing Act operator" and "mining operator" mean anyone who conducts those operations. "Atomic Energy Act" means the Act of August 1, 1946 (60 Stat. 755), as amended [42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.], and "Atomic Energy Commission" means the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission created under that Act. "Fissionable source material" means uranium, thorium, and the other materials listed in section 5(b)(1) of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, that are reserved or to be reserved to the United States. "Uranium lease application" means an application to the Commission for a uranium lease on lands that would otherwise be open to mining but are covered by a mineral leasing offer, application, permit, or lease or are known to have minerals leasable under those laws. "Uranium lease" means the uranium mining lease the Commission would issue for those lands. "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §530

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

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.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Act of February 25, 1920, referred to in text, is act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, known as the Mineral Leasing Act, which is classified generally to chapter 3A (§ 181 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 181 of this title and Tables. Act of
April 17, 1926, referred to in text, is act Apr. 17, 1926, ch. 158, 44 Stat. 301, which is classified generally to subchapter VIII (§ 271 et seq.) of chapter 3A of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Act of
February 7, 1927, referred to in text, is act Feb. 7, 1927, ch. 66, 44 Stat. 1057, which enacted subchapter IX (§ 281 et seq.) of chapter 3A of this title, amended section 181 and 193 of this title, and repealed subchapter VII (§ 141 et seq.) of chapter 3 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 91–581, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1566, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 1001 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1001 of this title and Tables. The

Effective Date

of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, referred to in text, probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 91–581, which was approved Dec. 24, 1970. The Atomic Energy Act, referred to in text, is a reference to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, 60 Stat. 755), prior to its complete amendment and revision by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, 68 Stat. 919, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 2011 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For further details, see Codification note set out under sections 1801 to 1819 of Title 42 and

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. section 5(b)(1) of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, referred to in text, was formerly classified to section 1805(b)(1) of Title 42 and defined “source material”. The term is defined in section 11(z) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, which is classified to section 2014(z) of Title 42.

Amendments

2005—Pub. L. 109–58 amended directory language of Pub. L. 91–581, § 26. See 1970 Amendment note below. 1970—Pub. L. 91–581, § 26, as amended by Pub. L. 109–58, redefined “mineral leasing laws” to exclude “the Act of October 20, 1914” and to include “Geothermal Steam Act of 1970” and “Leasing Act minerals” to include “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”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

Atomic Energy Commission abolished and functions transferred by section 5814 and 5841 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. See, also,

Transfer of Functions

notes set out under those sections.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 530

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102