United States Bureau of Mines
U.S. government agency that existed during 1910–1996
The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was the primary United States government agency in the 20th century that conducted scientific research and disseminated information on the extraction, processing, use, and conservation of mineral resources. The Bureau was abolished in 1996.
History
The U.S. Bureau of Mines was established in the U.S. States Department of the Interior on May 16, 1910, pursuant to the Organic Act (Public Law 179), to deal with a wave of catastrophic mine disasters. The Bureau's mission was gradually expanded to include:
The conduct of research to enhance the safety, health, and environmental impact of mining and processing of minerals and materials.
The collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about mining and processing of more than 100 mineral commodities across the Nation and in more than 185 countries around the world.
Analysis of the impact of proposed mineral-related laws and regulations upon the national interest.
Production, conservation, sale, and distribution of helium for essential government activities.
Respirator guidelines, and after the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster, respirator regulation and approval.
The first director of the USBM was Joseph Austin Holmes, a pioneer in occupational safety and health. He served from 1910 until his death in 1915.
The public source identifies “United States Bureau of Mines” as u.S. government agency that existed during 1910–1996. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around United, States and Bureau.
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Contemporary correspondence, administrative files and participant testimony can test how later narratives organized the event or institution. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7889588. VIAF identifies the subject as 147093372. The Library of Congress control number is n79063444. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1996, 1910 and 1915.
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This entry incorporates text from “United States Bureau of Mines” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.