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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Press Release, Subject: Survey of the Long-Term Security Problem

Document type
News story
Length
4 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16126023 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

Soon after taking of fi be,the Commission enlisted the services of Rear 1 ~~,h,dr.r&!Admi~aJSidney 8. Souers, Ufrix, former Duputy Chief of Naval Intelligence and first head 01% h e U.SI--l%tral Intelligence Gr mp,as special consultant to assist in a survey of the long-term security problem. Meanwhile, the security system of the Manhattan Project were rigorously maintained. As a result of the study, the Commission established in its staff headquarters an Office of Security and Intelligence to direct all of the security activities of its program, and i n August was fortunate enough to obtain the services of Rear Admiral JohnE, Gingrich, USN, Assistant Chief o f Naval Operations, on detail,toact as Director of the new Office. The Director of Security and Intelligence will maintain close liaison with the Central Intelligence Group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other security and intelligence agencies of the Government, a s well as with the Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, Since its esta blis kn ent,the new Office has taken many significant measures to in sure the security cbn tro l of plant, personnel, documents, information and transportation in addition to the establishment of standarrds, policies and Security staffs of the Managers of Directed Operations made detailed inspections and surveys, during the first year. The scope of this report does not permit a detailed presentation of physical security improvement result - ing from these surveys. improved in this respect. safeguards are being installed and, pending the completion of the construction However, all major and many lesser facilities have Protective devices. t o provide adequate mechanical

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In building a gucrd force of 3100 men, a high level of personnel standards and indoctrination has b2en set and is being maintained; a s an example, a t Los Alamos, out of 14,000 aFp li cants for guard duty, only 1,000 were able to qualify. Further, i n connection with the development o f guard forces, emergency defense plans have been made for all major facilities. has been maintained wiith the National Military Sstablishment, An integrated survey system has been established to provide a regular For this purpose close liaison coverage and frequency of facility surveys. Unit has been formed to advise the Commission i n achieving an effective and co hsi stent security policy andto assist the MLnagers qf Directed Operations i n the accomplishment of that end. The unit operates independently i n checking the status of security in the field,bon sul ting with the Offices of Directed Operations and recommending revisions and supplementations in security policies, standards and pmcedures tothe Commission. A Headquarters Inspection and Survey Aset of maps, for all key Atomic Energy Comnission installations,isin the course of prepciration. These maps will show all standard naturtil and cultural features and will graphically stress FhysicGl security aspects. In the first eleven months of 1947, 65,197 Atomic Energy Commission and contractor applicant or employee cases were referred to the Federal Bureau o f Investigation. Of the:;e 43,341 required ti full background investigation,prior to c karan ce for access t q restricted data. Jpproximotely 8,000 cases are pending completion. The remainder o f 21,856, who do not have access to restricted data, required afile and identification check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. New Ppp li cc t ions or re investigation of old ones are being filed at8rate in excess of 5,000 p e r month.

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In order to better protect rest ric%ed data and atthe scime time allow maximum pm gres s in construction at Atomic Tnergy Commission installations, it is the policy of the Commission to allow access to restricted work t o as few cleared construction workers as possible, but to so integrate the security and construction plans tis to pm vi de for classified work being started only after the non-classified a on struct ion has been completed. been made in this respect and has reduced the number of construction workers who have access to restricted wcrk. Through this device a t one installation,an original requiremcnt for 25,000 employees, was reduced t o several hundred who were granted access to restricted work. The policy cnd pmcedures with respect to administrative rsview of personnel clearance decisions have been developed to a point where afive member Personnel Security Review Bocrd, composed o f prominent citizens, has been establish cd.Its purpose isto make recommendntions tothe Commission for further definition and codification of standards and criteria used i n determining ineligibility for employment by the Commission and its contractors and t o provide for admin is tre ti ve review i n cases where employees are regarded as ineligible for security clearance. I n connection wit k the informetion control and security education program, a Classification and Document Control Board h8s been setup to establish criteria for the classification of restricted datu, t o supervise procedures involved i n the accounting for classified documents and to define such areas of Commission information and activity which should be free from security restrictions. units have been set up by the Regional Managers t o work closely with the Board. The task of inventorying restricted documents has been underway since h ly 1947. The magnitude o:f the inventory may be illustrated by an operational and documents have been i dont if i ed and are in the pm ces s of inventory. Technical and Sci en fifi c reports totaling over 450,000 are also in the process of detailed In the highest cetegory of classified data over 25,000 inventory. .Part of thc pmblem invo1v.d i n inventorying documents are the

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several million less highly class if is d papers, required t o be scanned i n vapi-,us repositories,to separate the two named groups cfm atz rial from other less highly classified documents wlhich are now being studied, and toset up an improved system for handling and accounting for documents. 25,000 linear feet of files in which 20% of the material is estimated t o be , One location has more than In the security education activities, vigorous efforts have been made t o indoctrinate all personnel, having access to restricted data, with a full knowledge of their duties und responsibilities At regular meetings, local security officers achieve, through pers3nal contact,the cooperntion of plant and laboratory personnel. i n understanding clnd ex eru ting the requirements o f security.Security kit:; cnntoining training material and copies of "Security Education Cutline," a guide tothe source and procedures involv(.d in security, have been distributed t? all Managers of Directed Operations. Ten thousand copies o f e. Genercl MEnnger's Instruction, "Iiesponsi bil it y f sr Security,'' have nlsn been distributed. This document describes precisely the personal obligations of all Commission mdc on tri ctor personnel for sc curit y maintenance cnd sets forth the legal and contractual bases for these obligations. I t defines the responsibilities of administrative officers - - the Director of the Office of Security and Intelligence,the Mcnagers o f Directed Operations, and the Heads o f Washington Divisions and Offices. t o - date list of all regulati3ns, manuals, and other instructions which set forth the exact security standards and procedures currently in effect. Furthzrmore, it provides r n up-