Garfield County News | 1955-02-24 | Page 44 | 1,000 Claims Supply U-Ore during 1954

1,000 Claims Supply U-Ore During 1954 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.-The Atomic Energy Commission's operations office here purchased uranium ore from 1,000 claims during 1954, according to Sheldon P. Wimpfen, manager of the office. In 1953, he Bald, ore was purchased from 928, and from 824 in 1952. In 1948. the commission purchased ore from only 48 claims. The Grand Junction operations office of the AEC purchases ore from the entire area west of the Mississippi river. Bonus payments in the 45 months since the Grand Junction operations office was opened In Itfarch of 1951 total $4,377,173, Wimpfen announced. These payments, are made on the first 10,-000 pounds of uranium ore Produced and bought by the AEC. A total of 2,680 claims have been validated for the payment, he said. Rate of bonus payments now Is up to approximately $150,000 per month, rising to that figure from an average of $97,000 during the past few months. Seveniy-elght mines have received the full bonus allowance of $35,000. According to Wimpfen, approximately $1,800,000 was paid out in bonus payments.