Fact mine-022
newrecordconfirmed Surface Resources Act: an unpatented mining claim may be used only for mining, never for a reactor or data center
30 U.S.C. 612(a) (Surface Resources Act of 23 July 1955) says a mining claim located after that date may not be used, before a patent is issued, for any purpose other than prospecting, mining or processing and uses reasonably incident to them. Subsection (b) keeps the United States' right to manage the surface and let others use it, so long as that does not materially interfere with mining.
In plain termsA mining claim is a right to dig for minerals, not a right to use the land for anything else. Building a reactor, a data center or a factory on an unpatented claim would be outside what the law allows. So mining claims are not a lawful shortcut to a reactor site.
- 30 U.S.C. 612: Restrictions and limitations on use of unpatented mining claims (Surface Resources Act) (Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House, 1955-07-23) primary government “for any purposes other than prospecting, mining or processing operations”
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