Nuclear Nonproliferation: Better Controls Needed Over Weapons-Related Information and Technology
RCED-89-116
Published: Jun 19, 1989. Publicly Released: Jul 21, 1989.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Department of Energy's (DOE) controls over unclassified nuclear weapons information and technology developed by its three weapons laboratories.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | To help minimize the risks associated with the free dissemination of unclassified but sensitive nuclear-related information and better protect national security, the Secretary of Energy should require the laboratories to track foreign requests for information and institute an effective oversight measure to ensure that they do so. |
DOE is developing a new system, the Sensitive Country Information Logging System, for the weapons laboratories to collect data on the information provided to foreign sources. The system will not, however, contain information on all foreign requests or the disposition of them.
|
| Department of Energy | To help minimize the risks associated with the free dissemination of unclassified but sensitive nuclear-related information and better protect national security, the Secretary of Energy should complete and issue guidance to the weapons laboratories for use in identifying and limiting the dissemination of unclassified controlled nuclear information (UCNI) in accordance with the 1981 congressional mandate. |
DOE has developed several internal UCNI guidelines and is near completion of several topical guidelines. According to a DOE official, this will be an ongoing activity because periodically DOE will review and revise the guidelines as needed.
|
| Department of Energy | To help minimize the risks associated with the free dissemination of unclassified but sensitive nuclear-related information and better protect national security, the Secretary of Energy should require the laboratories to send, and refer requests for, all computer codes to the National Energy Software Center. |
DOE has instructed the laboratories to provide all unclassified, weapons-related computer codes to the National Energy Software Center in accordance with DOE Order 1360.4A.
|
| Department of Energy | To help minimize the risks associated with the free dissemination of unclassified but sensitive nuclear-related information and better protect national security, the Secretary of Energy should seek a legislative exemption from the Freedom of Information Act for unclassified data categorized by DOE as export-controlled information. |
DOE agrees that a legislative exemption could be an effective tool to control information dissemination. The DOE Office of the General Counsel is considering this matter.
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Topics
Confidential communicationsDual-use technologiesExport regulationForeign governmentsFreedom of informationGovernment information disseminationNuclear proliferationNuclear weaponsNuclear weapons plantsTechnology transfer