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Office of Nuclear and National Security Information Weekly Report

February 6, 2001

I. Director's Schedule (Travel and Leave)

Nothing to Report.

II. Key Departmental News

Guidance Streamlining Initiative Meeting: The Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, conducted a kickoff meeting at the DOE Nevada Operations Office during the week of January 22. Over 20 classification and computer experts from the field and Headquarters organizations attended the meeting. Objectives of the meeting included a task to define effective processes and guidelines for classification guidance streamlining. As a result, the group suggested to form a working group whose charter is to develop effective processes and guidelines by streamlining classification guidance in one technical area. The group is expected to identify requirements for effective tools for guidance streamlining. The group recommended to meet again in late April to complete the work. The meeting minutes, trip report, and summary are being prepared.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Andrew P. Weston-Dawkes, SO-222, (301) 903-3689

Plan for the Release of the Report "Highly Enriched Uranium - The First 50 Years:" The Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, reviewed and declassified the report "Highly Enriched Uranium - The First 50 Years." Options for the release of the report are being developed by the Materials Management Division, Defense Programs. A supplement to the report was prepared by the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation with assistance from the Office of Environmental Management. The Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, reviewed and declassified the supplement. The Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation will develop options for the release of the supplement.
Media Interest: Yes. Major information to be released by the DOE.
DOE Contact: Andrew P. Weston-Dawkes, SO-222, (301) 903-3689

Proposed Declassification of the Current Highly Enriched Uranium and Plutonium Inventories at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site: The Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, is reviewing a proposal from the Manager, Rocky Flats Field Office (RFFO), for the Director, Office of Security and Emergency Operations. Approval of the proposal would declassify the current special nuclear material inventories at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site. The Technology Program supports the declassification of the June 30, 2000, inventory of highly enriched uranium but does not support the declassification of the plutonium inventory. RFFO is considering whether or not to accept a delay in this decision until both the highly enriched uranium and the plutonium inventories can be declassified.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Andrew P. Weston-Dawkes, SO-222, (301) 903-3689

Johnson Presidential Library Visit Scheduled for July 2001: The Office of Nuclear and National Security Information (ONNSI) has scheduled a visit to the Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, TX to conduct Historical Record surveys of declassified records. The surveys are being conducted pursuant to Public Law (P.L.) 105-261 and P.L. 106-65. The Johnson Library contains more than 35 million pages of records, an extensive audiovisual collection, and oral history interviews with more than 1,000 individuals. Approximately 830,000 pages from the Johnson collection are subject to the 25-year automatic declassification provision of Executive Order (E.O.) 12958. Of these, 240,000 pages have been declassified under the E.O. but are considered either "Highly Likely" or "Possible" to contain Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data. The remaining 590,000 pages are in files that are closed to the public either because they have been determined to be classified and exempt from automatic declassification or because they have not been reviewed.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Jeffrey A. Zarkin, SO-223, (301) 903-4199

III. Work on Secretarial Initiatives

Nothing to Report.

IV. Press Inquiries

Nothing to Report.

V. FOIA Requests

Sensitive Health and Safety Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Review: The Document Declassification Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, reviewed a FOIA request from the Health and Safety Office concerning an internal investigation at Pantex. This review action consists of approximately four linear feet of documents. The first review of the documents is complete and the second review will be completed within the next 2 weeks.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Jeffrey A. Zarkin, SO-223, (301) 903-4199

VI. Grants, Economic Announcements and Publications

Nothing to Report.

VII. Climate Change

Nothing to Report.

VIII. Disaster Assistance

Nothing to Report.


OFFICE OF NUCLEAR AND NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION ONLY

Sensitive Electronic Information Detection (SEID) Enters Second Test Evaluation: The SEID project is entering the evaluation phase of its second test cycle at Sandia National Laboratories. The second test cycle covers core topics concerning Implosion Assembled Weapons. The evaluation phase will last 2 weeks and will test the system's able to correctly differentiate classified from unclassified documents in this area.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Thomas P. Curtis, SO-22, (301) 903-0521

Status of the Beta Test and Target Dates for Delivery of the Next Version of the Classified Guidance System (CGS): The beta version of CGS 01.1 was installed on five systems for testing. The beta testers for CGS are: Mr. Irwin Binder, Mr. Mike Kolbay, Mr. Herb Schmidt, Mr. Anthony Vital, and Mr. Brett Palmer. On Monday, February 5, the CGS team will begin distribution of CGS. Mr. Kolbay thoroughly reviewed the new Office of Scientific and Technical Information Thesaurus to assure it meets prior requirements.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Dan C. Young, SO-22, (301) 903-9970

Classification Guidance Streamlining Initiative (CGSI) Meeting: Members of the SOZA technical team were invited to attend the kickoff meeting held in Las Vegas, January 23-25 for classification guidance streamlining. Specific goals for the meeting included: understanding the streamlining process for classification guidance; exploring topics in a general nature to understand topic structure; identifying possible data processing tools to assist in the streamlining process; to facilitate in the analysis of the streamlining process discussion; to establish familiarity with members of the working group; and understanding the Master Subject List for classification guidance.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Dan C. Young, SO-22, (301) 903-9970

General Accounting Office (GAO) Computer Security Audit: The GAO distributed a "Survey of Classified Systems in the Federal Government." The Survey was completed for the Office of Nuclear and National Security Information on February 1, and returned to the Office of the Associate CIO for Cyber Security, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Dan C. Young, SO-22, (301) 903-9970

Next Steps for an Office Workflow System: The next steps for the development of a workflow system are: 1. Formalize requirements and determine design and technology issues; 2. Outline Commercial-off-the-Shelf products and determine technology fit; 3. Demonstrate and test most likely candidate; 4. Rollout a beta/prototype system and provide training; and 5. Complete a rollout with cooperation with the Automated Office System Support team.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Dan C. Young, SO-22, (301) 903-9970

Classification Guidance Database Development: The Classification Analysis and Production Team, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, hosted the weekly Classification Guidance Database Working Group meeting. We recommended that the system use a topic numbering system based on the numbering scheme currently being used. In addition, the draft User Requirements document has been sent to four integrators as an introduction to our requirements. These four integrators are scheduled to meet here next week to discuss these requirements. One integrator will be selected to help prototype the system, and the decision will then be made as to whether the integrator will help implement the system. It is anticipated that a prototype system would be ready for testing and demonstration by August.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Andrew P. Weston-Dawkes, SO-222, (301) 903-3689
Vincent D. V. Le, SO-222, (301) 903-4648
Donald McCullough, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-9599
Ron Sentell, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-4255
Richard Comerford, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-1319
Joyce Baker, SO-222, (301) 903-3417
Todd Powell, SO-223/SOZA, (301) 903-9043
Evelyn Stephenson, SO-223/SOZA, (301) 903-2000
Kris Mathieson, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-4862

Follow-on Activities in Support of Counterintelligence Classification Management: In cooperation with the Office of Counterintelligence, a representative of the Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, developed briefing notes for the slide presentation regarding the implementation of the "Classification Guide for Counterintelligence Information," CG-CI-1. The briefing will be presented on February 6 to attendees of the Department of Energy Counterintelligence Course (CNA-250) at the Counterintelligence Training Academy, Nonproliferation and National Security Institute, in Albuquerque, NM.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Kang Kun Wu, SO-222, (301) 903-4870
Sonya Barnette, SO-222, (301) 903-2068
Yvonne D. B. Burch, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-1326

Reply from the Department of Defense (DoD) on Proposed Declassification of United Kingdom Plutonium Information: The Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information (ONNSI), is anticipating a formal reply from the DoD regarding the proposed declassification of United Kingdom plutonium information. When a formal reply has been received from the DoD, the Technology Program, Technical Guidance Division, ONNSI, will prepare an issue paper for the Director, Office of Security Affairs.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Kang Kun Wu, SO-222, (301) 903-4870
Michael Nightingale, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-1328

Classification Review Support: The Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, has completed a review of a document provided by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The subject of the paper is Halite/Centurion targets. Last year, the Technical Evaluation Panel reviewed a LLNL proposal in this area and recommended declassification. Some of the information in the document goes beyond what is currently being considered for declassification.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Edith A. Chalk, SO-222, (301) 903-1185
James Stone, SO-222, (301) 903-4406
William Grayson, SO-222/DynMeridian, (301) 903-4998

CG-W-4, "Joint DOE-DOD Nuclear Weapons Classification Guide:" The Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, continued work on the recission of CG-W-4. Topics and responses have been sorted and will be provided to the action officers responsible for the individual guides affected. The recission memorandum is in final typing.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Edith A. Chalk, SO-222, (301) 903-1185
Walter J. Chrobak, SO-222, (301) 903-8638

CG-NIR-1, "Classification and UCNI Guide for Nuclear Incident Response:" The Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, is reviewing those sections of CG-NIR-1 not discussed at last week's working group meeting. A second working group meeting has been tentatively scheduled for the week of February 12. A final coordinated draft of CG-NIR-1 should result from this meeting.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Edith A. Chalk, SO-222, (301) 903-1185
John H. Campbell, SO-222, (301) 903-0231
Walter J. Chrobak, SO-222, (301) 903-8638

Resolution of Weapon Component Classification Discrepancies: The Technical Guidance Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, continued working on a memorandum designed to start the process of resolving classification discrepancies discovered by Casey Phillips at Pantex. Content of the memorandum was discussed with Casey Phillips and Harvey Lee, Oakland Operations Office, during last week's meetings in Nevada; and neither had any problems with what will be proposed. The new memorandum is in final typing.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Edith A. Chalk, SO-222, (301) 903-1185
Walter J. Chrobak, SO-222, (301) 903-8638

Film Initiative at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) on Weapon Development Projects: LLNL has sent a letter proposing a project to produce films that record the history of individual weapon system development projects at LLNL. Each film would go into the unique aspects of the individual weapon including the physics considerations that drove the development project. The films are to go into technical detail and give classification rationale. LLNL has been asked to submit a plan going into some specifics on the benefits of the project as well as cost/schedule considerations.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Edith A. Chalk, SO-222, (301) 903-1185
Brian Shea, SO-222, (301) 903-8047

Document Declassification Division (DDD) Continues the Examination of Other Government Agency Open Stack Records at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): The chart below portrays the status to date of DDD's characterization of the open stack records at NARA.

 

Week of Jan 25 - 31

Cumulative

Type of Characterization

Number of EOPLAN Collections

(completed)

Pages Reviewed (in millions)

Total Pages  in EOPLANS (in millions)

Number of EOPLAN Collections

(completed)

Pages Reviewed (in millions)

Total Pages in

EOPLANS (in millions)

Survey

0

0

0

6429

65.1

138.5

Audit

0

0

0

590

5.1

11.3

NOTE: Large surveys in progress, will be reported complete next week.

DDD's ability to complete surveys of the publicly available records by August 2001 is dependent upon NARA locating misplaced records.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Kenneth M. Stein, SO-223, (301) 903-9968 or (301) 713-6213

Special Review Project: The Document Declassification Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, completed review of the Draft Topical Classification Guide-Weapons Production and Military Utilization-2 (TCG-WPMU-2). The purpose of the review is to evaluate the guide from the user perspective. User comments for the Technical Guidance Division are being prepared by the Statutory Reviews Program.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Evelyn J. Self, SO-223, (301) 903-8004

Richland Operations Office (RL) Support: Two classification review specialists from RL completed 2 weeks of work for the Statutory Reviews Program at their office in Germantown. The reviewers received approximately 18 hours of expert-level mentoring while completing 15 instructional second reviews. Additionally, they materially assisted in two reviews specifically related to RL.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Evelyn J. Self, SO-223, (301) 903-8004

Classified Guidance System (CGS) Beta Test: The Document Declassification Division, Office of Nuclear and National Security Information, began the beta test for the Classification Guidance System, Version 01.1. Five document reviewers are participating in the test and will recommend any possible changes to the CGS prior to its distribution.
Media Interest: No
DOE Contact: Evelyn J. Self, SO-223, (301) 903-8004




FAS | Secrecy | February 2001 News ||| Index | Search | Join FAS