[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6770-6771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02454]
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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
[NARA-2015-021]
Office of Presidential Libraries; Disposal of Presidential
Records
AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
ACTION: Presidential Records Act notice of proposed disposal of Reagan
and George H.W. Bush administration disaster recovery backup tapes;
request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: NARA has identified several collections of disaster recovery
backup tapes, and subsequently-created preservation copies, from the
Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush (GHW Bush) administrations,
maintained for the Professional/Office Vision software (PROFS), the
Sperry/VAX All-in-One (All-in-One), and for systems maintained by the
White House Situation Support Staff (WHSSS) and the White House
Situation Room (WHSR), as appropriate for disposal under the
Presidential Records Act, 44 U.S.C. 2203(g)(3). This notice describes
our reasons for determining that further retention of these disaster
recovery backup tapes is not warranted. Because the administrations
made these backup tapes for disaster recovery purposes, all required
backup restoration projects have taken place, and NARA is preserving
the restored records, we have identified no further need to preserve
and maintain these backup tapes. Accordingly, we are following a
disposal procedure similar to that in General Records Schedule (GRS) 24
for the routine disposal of backup tapes used by Federal agencies.
This notice does not constitute a final agency action, as described
in 44 U.S.C. 2203(g)(3), and no Presidential records will be disposed
of following this notice. NARA will publish a second notice only after
we have considered any comments received following this 45-day notice
period. If NARA proceeds with disposal, we will publish a second
notice, with a 60-day notice period, that will constitute a final
agency action.
DATES: Please submit any comments by March 23, 2015 for NARA's
consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the proposed disposal of these
Presidential records must be sent in writing to Susan K. Donius, by
mail to National Archives and Records Administration, Suite 2200; 8601
Adelphi Road; College Park, MD 20740-6001; by fax to 301-837-3199; or
by email to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director of Presidential Libraries
Susan K. Donius, by telephone at 301-837-3250; or by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NARA proposes to dispose of 3,071 original
disaster recovery backup tapes created during the Reagan and GHW Bush
administrations, along with subsequent preservation copies of those
media. A Stipulation and Order entered in the case of Armstrong v.
Executive Office of the President, Civ. No. 89-0142 (D.D.C.), on
January 27, 1994, allows NARA to dispose of preserved disaster recovery
backup tapes from the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations, provided
that NARA issues a public notice in the Federal Register. On June 28,
2013, NARA published a Federal Register notice proposing the disposal
of over 22,000 unclassified backup tapes from the Reagan and GHW Bush
administrations that were used to restore emails and related records
pursuant to court orders entered in the Armstrong case. NARA received
no comments concerning that proposed disposal.
Similarly, NARA now proposes to dispose of 3,039 classified backup
tapes from the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations that were
transferred to
[[Page 6771]]
NARA at the end of the GHW Bush administration in 1993 and were used to
restore emails and related records pursuant to the Armstrong case,
along with 32 additional unclassified Armstrong backup tapes. NARA will
permanently retain the restored Presidential and Federal records from
these media, including PROFS notes, documents, and calendars, as well
as email and cables from the All-in-One electronic system and the WHSSS
and the WHSR electronic systems, on different electronic media.
Details About the Records
These backups were maintained for the PROFS, the All-in-One, and on
systems maintained by WHSSS and WHSR. Four White House entities
maintained these backups--the White House Communications Agency (WHCA),
WHSSS, and WHSR, on behalf of the National Security Council (NSC), and
the Office of Administration (OA) on behalf of components of the
Executive Office of the President.
These tapes include 3,039 original classified backup tapes
originally preserved under court orders entered in the Armstrong case
and transferred to NARA at the end of the GHW Bush administration in
1993. These backup tapes were created by WHCA and WHSSS staff, on
behalf of the NSC, during the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations, and
by WHSR staff during the Bush administration. The original backup media
consist of a variety of formats, including, but not limited to, open-
reel tapes, 3480-class cartridge tapes, hard drives, 8mm tapes, 4mm
tapes, DEC cartridges, removable disc packs, and a floppy disk. During
the Clinton administration, WHCA, WHSSS, and WHSR administrative staff,
on behalf of the NSC, conducted tape restoration projects to restore
records from these backup tapes. All of these backup media have been
duplicated in two or more preservation copy sets (not necessarily using
the same media) created subsequently. NARA will permanently retain the
restored Presidential and Federal records from these media, including
PROFS notes, documents, and calendars, as well as email and cables from
the All-in-One electronic system and the WHSSS and WHSR electronic
systems, in an electronic format as part of the permanent record
collections of the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations.
Tape Restoration Projects and Retained Records
During the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations, NSC staff conducted
business using two electronic communication systems. The first system
was known as PROFS, which was an IBM proprietary office management tool
available to NSC staff and supported by WHCA. WHCA captured stored
electronic information on open reel tapes, created to sustain disaster
recovery ability, during scheduled backup periods. During the Clinton
administration, WHCA used copies of PROFS system backup tapes to
conduct a tape restoration project (WHCA TRP) of all PROFS notes,
documents, calendars, and other partial or residual data on the tapes
from the Reagan and GHW Bush administrations, in response to
stipulations and orders entered in the Armstrong case. We will continue
to retain these restored records.
The second system used by NSC staff during the Reagan
administration, and increasingly during the GHW Bush administration,
was the All-in-One system, which also allowed for transmission of
electronic mail, calendars, and cables. The All-in-One system
maintained by WHCA and WHSSS was connected to the IBM PROFS system so
that mail could be sent and received between NSC staff. After September
1992, WHSR staff began using a new system for electronic mail (CCMail)
instead of All-in-One.
WHSSS staff conducted a second tape restoration project (WHSSS TRP)
on the backup media from each of the above systems, also in response to
stipulations and orders entered in the Armstrong case. From the Reagan
administration, all WHCA All-in-One email and cables, and WHSSS All-in-
One email, calendars, and cables, were restored as part of the WHSSS
TRP. From the GHW Bush administration, all WHCA All-in-One email,
calendars, and cables, WHSSS All-in-One email, calendars, and cables,
and WHSR CCMail email, calendars, and cables, were restored as part of
the WHSSS TRP. We will continue to retain these records.
The records restored pursuant to the WHCA and WHSSS TRPs are
currently classified and are otherwise subject to access restrictions
imposed by the Presidential Records Act (44 U.S.C. 2204(a)). NARA will
be able to respond to future access requests for the PROFS notes,
documents, and calendars, as well as All-in-One and CCMail electronic
mail, calendars, and cables. In light of the extensive past restoration
efforts to obtain these records, we believe the original backup media
and subsequent preservation copies do not warrant permanent retention
and are disposable.
Staff in OA conducted a third tape restoration project to restore
unclassified Reagan-era PROFS notes, documents, and calendars residing
on OA's separate unclassified PROFS system for components of the
Executive Office of the President, also in response to stipulations and
orders entered in the Armstrong case. NARA now proposes to dispose of
32 unclassified open-reel backup tapes created during the Reagan
administration and used by OA staff for this third TRP. OA created
separate sets of output tapes, labeled the ``Presidential Tape Set,''
and the ``Federal Tape Set,'' containing PROFS notes, documents, and
calendars covered under the Presidential Records Act and the Federal
Records Act, respectively. We will continue to retain these records. In
light of OA's restoration efforts, we believe that these 32 original
backup media and subsequent preservation copies also do not warrant
permanent retention and are disposable.
Dated: January 30, 2015.
Susan K. Donius,
Director, Office of Presidential Libraries.
[FR Doc. 2015-02454 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7515-01-P