Results of these surveys are released through the posting of base maps showing the location of areas of high radioactivity (anomalies). In most instances, these are monthly index maps posted at all AEC exploration offices, and at certain offices of the U. S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Mines. In some cases, they are made available at temporary posting points in the areas in which a particular survey is conducted. Maps showing the results of surveys carried out by the USGS are released at the conclusion of each project and posted at numerous offices of AEC and USGS. Survey projects completed by the USGS so far in 1954 include the Black Hills and White River Badlands area of South Dakota, Carbon, and Sweetwater counties of Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico beaches and the peripheral area to the phosphate fields in Florida, and the Atlantic beaches from Virginia to Florida. Posting information on monthly index maps is believed to be the quickest way for disseminating this information. The Commission does not make copies of its maps directly available to the public. However, arrangements have been made to make the maps available to a number of commerical printing houses for their reproduction and sale.1 The Commission also prepared a manual "Prospecting With a Counter" for the use of uranium prospectors. This handbook-a companion volume to "Prospecting for Uranium" of which over 150,000 copies have been sold-covers the operation, use, and abuse of field counters, and their application to prospecting, mining and geologic problems. (See Appendix 6, "Publications of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.") Numerous private planes are engaged in surveying for private firms in addition to the Government surveys. Mileage flown so far in 1954 by the Survey, by the Commission, and by private firms totaled approximately 200,000 miles. PROCESS DEVELOPMENT The Commission continued its search for new and better means of recovering uranium from various materials and of developing new exploration techniques. Process development work in connection with the new mills and expanded facilities planned for the Colorado Plateau was an important phase of this program. Research was also done in new geologic techniques and instrumentation, particularly geophysical work in connection with airborne radioactivity surveying. A list of the posting points where the monthly index maps may be examined, and a list of the commercial firms which reproduce and sell the maps, may be obtained by writing to the Grand Junction Operations Office, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box 270, Grand Junction, Colo., or to the Division of Raw Materials, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington 25, D. C. 303584-54- -2 Western Ore Process Development The Commission's Raw Materials Development Laboratory at Winchester, Mass., and the pilot plant at Grand Junction, Colo., both operated by the American Cyanamid Co.,2 concentrated on the development of processes for new mills on the Colorado Plateau. Additional pilot test work was carried out by the Bureau of Mines and the Dow Chemical Co., at the Bureau's station in Salt Lake City, Utah; the Galigher Co. at Monticello, Utah; the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. at Grants, N. Mex.; the Climax Uranium Co. at Grand Junction, Colo.; the Vitro Uranium Co. at Salt Lake City, and other private companies. The Bureau of Mines cooperated with Kerr-McGee Oil Industries, Inc., in the development of the process for the Shiprock, N. Mex., mill. The engineering firm of Knowles Associates assisted in preliminary engineering design and equipment layouts for the proposed plants. Battelle Memorial Institute, University of Nevada, University of Utah, and the Colorado School of Mines also conducted important studies contributing to this program. Uranium From Low-Grade Sources The Commission continued its studies into the feasibility of extracting uranium, and such possible coproducts as phosphate and alumina, from the leached zone material overlying the commercial phosphate rock in Florida. Pilot plant studies of processes at International Minerals and Chemical Corp. and the Tennessee Valley Authority show promise. An independent evaluation of the TVA process is nearing completion. Battelle Memorial Institute, the Bureau of Mines and Columbia University continued work on the Chattanooga uraniferous shale project. Production A sharp rise in the production of fissionable materials occurred during the first 6 months of 1954, because of startup of new plant capacity, increased availability of raw materials, and operational flexibility of the Nation's complex of production facilities. Unit cost of production of fissionable materials was lower than in the preceding 6-months period. 'Effective July 1, the National Lead Co. assumed responsibility for the operation of the Raw Materials Development Laboratory at Winchester and the pilot plant at Grand Junction. (See listing in Appendix 3.) Enlarged Plant Capacity The Savannah River construction project in South Carolina neared completion and a number of its components were placed in operation. First returns from this $1.5 billion investment are now being realized. At Hanford, Wash., construction of additional reactor capacity proceeded on schedule. The first gaseous diffusion plant at Paducah, Ky., authorized in 1950, went into full operation, as did portions of the second Paducah plant, authorized 2 years later. The addition to the Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion plant, authorized 2 years ago, is partially completed. Construction of the new plant at Portsmouth, Ohio, proceeded satisfactorily. The construction peak there is expected late this summer. Operational Flexibility A characteristic of the atomic energy industrial complex is the degree of flexibility that has been built into the system. Operational flexibility is available through the reuse of the same source material. Given the proper processing facilities, natural uranium can be placed in a reactor to produce plutonium and then the depleted uranium can be enriched in gaseous diffusion plants by an amount sufficient to permit reuse in the reactor. (A possible method for recycling uranium is illustrated in the diagram on page 10.) This flexibility of operation makes it possible to operate the Nation's various production facilities to achieve maximum economic use of uranium feed. Sudden changes in needs for specific items of output from the system can be met by adjusting the level of operation of various plants and diverting material among processes and plants. The ability of nuclear reactors to produce materials other than plutonium provides further flexibility in the production of atomic materials. The units at both Hanford and Savannah River have this potential. Electric Power for Gaseous Diffusion Plants Five additional steam electric generating units to provide power for the Commission's gaseous diffusion plants were placed in operation during the first 6 months of 1954. The fourth generator of TVA's Shawnee steam plant began operation on January 8, and the third unit of the Electric Energy, Inc., Joppa plant on April 18. The Shawnee and Joppa generating stations provide power to the Paducah gaseous diffusion plants. TVA's Kingston plant delivering power to Oak Ridge placed three generating units in operation, the first on February 8, the second April 29, and the third June 11. Process Development At this time it seems useful to note in most general terms the unclassified facts about progress made in recent years in this field and the technology of production of source and fissionable materials. The following gives such a summary. The process development program supporting fissionable materials production is one of the most rewarding activities carried on by the Commission. Major reductions in cost of fissionable materials have resulted from these efforts. The program is conducted by contractors operating the major fissionable materials production facilities, and is analogous to the development and improvement programs pursued by progressive private industries. Each separate activity in the process development program is required to be economically justified by an existing or foreseeable production problem or goal. This feature of the program is in marked contrast to research, either basic or applied. Process development is in a sense a continuing investment program which, if properly executed, should repay the sum invested in a reasonable time with an acceptable investment return. The fissionable materials process development program has yielded returns exceeding by many times the cost of the program. Returns have been realized principally by increasing the capacity of existing facilities, with proportionately smaller increases in operating expense, and by reducing the capital and operating costs of new facilities. Gaseous Diffusion Improvements All components of the gaseous diffusion process, such as barriers, gas compressors, gas coolers, and coolant, have been under study since the K-25 plant at Oak Ridge was put into operation in 1945. As a result of these studies, intensified when the expansion program started, improvements have been made in every part of this process. The net results of these improvements, which have been made over the years, are that the capital costs for diffusion plants built since 1946 have been several billion dollars less than they would have been if the plants had been built using the same types of equipment used in the original K-25 plant. In addition to the savings in capital investment, these improvements also have resulted in annual operat |