<P> Uranium mining in the United States produced 3,303,977 pounds (1,498,659 kg) of U O (1271 tonnes of uranium) in 2015, 32% lower than 2014's production of 4,891,332 pounds (2,218,671 kg) of U O (1881 tonnes of uranium) and the lowest US annual production since 2005 . The 2015 production represents 7% of the anticipated uranium market requirements of the US's nuclear power reactors for the year . </P> <P> Production came from one conventional uranium mill in Utah, and six in - situ leach operations: four in Wyoming, one in Texas and one in Nebraska . </P> <P> While uranium is used primarily for nuclear power, uranium mining had its roots in the production of uranium - bearing ore in 1898 with the mining of carnotite - bearing sandstones of the Colorado Plateau in the 1950s saw a boom in uranium mining in the western U.S., spurred by the fortunes made by prospectors such as Charlie Steen . The United States was the world's leading producer of uranium from 1953 until 1980 . In 1960 annual U.S. production peaked at 17,055 metric tons U O. Until the early 1980s, there were active uranium mines in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming . </P>

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