National Security Information Fundamental Classification ...

National Security

Information

Fundamental

Classification

Guidance Review

Report to the Information

Security Oversight Office

June 2017

United States Department of Energy

Washington, DC 20585

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Department of Energy I June 2017

Message from the Senior Agency Official

I am pleased to forward the Department of Energy¡¯s National Security Information (NSI)

Fundamental Classification Guidance Review (FCGR) report. In this report, the Department

provides the results of its 2017 FCGR and shows how this review was a continuation of efforts

begun in 2012 when DOE completed its first FCGR. While work on NSI classification guidance

is never finished, as new national security programs emerge and others are shut down, we

believe the Department has significantly enhanced the clarity and accuracy of its NSI

classification guidance. As a result of these reviews, improved classification guidance will result

in improved derivative classification and declassification decisions and decrease unintentional

over-classification. The Department will continue to improve its process of protecting the

Nation¡¯s NSI under its purview in a manner consistent with Executive Order 13526.

I appreciate the opportunity to further the Government¡¯s goals for greater openness while

protecting national security interests. If you have questions or need additional information,

please contact the Director, Office of Technical Guidance within the Office of Classification,

Edith Chalk, at (301) 903-1185. My office will post a copy of this report at

.

Sincerely,

C.

^

Andrew C. Lawrence

Acting Associate Under Secretary for

Environment, Health, Safety and Security

I

Department of Energy I June 2017

Executive Summary

On March 17, 2016, the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) provided guidance

concerning the FY 2017 Fundamental Classification Guidance Review (FCGR). From

March 2016 to June 2017, DOE revalidated the recommendations from its first FCGR completed

in 2012. DOE also reviewed all the new classification guidance issued since the 2012 report.

DOE validated over 1,600 NSI classification topics and verified that its classification guidance:

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conforms to current operational and technical circumstances,

meets the standards for classification under Executive Order (E.O.) 13526, and

meets their intent as written.

Major highlights of this review include:

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a 20 percent decrease in the total number of NSI topics,

a 27 percent decrease in the total number of topics with exempt declassification

instructions,

a 32 percent decrease in the number of event-based declassification instructions, and

a 23 percent increase in the number of duration-based declassification instructions.

See Appendix A for more detailed results.

In addition, the Department reviewed and revised CG-HR-4, Historical Records Declassification

Guide. This guide provides updated guidance for DOE systematic reviews of historical record

collections for declassification and identifies all DOE information exempt from automatic

declassification at 25- or 50-year durations.

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