LANS Issued Final Notice for Lack of Control of Classified Matter

The National Nuclear Security Administration issued a Final Notice of Violation (FNOV) and a civil penalty of $192,500, to Los Alamos National Security, LLC, for multiple violations of Energy Department classified information security requirements, according to a June 28 letter from NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz to LANS President Charlie McMillan. A DOE investigation found in 2012 that LANS did not properly control sensitive information associated with a classified shipment.

 

“All classified matter, including unaccountable classified matter, requires protection and control from loss, theft, espionage, unauthorized access, and compromise when generated, received, transmitted, used, stored, reproduced, permanently buried, or awaiting destruction,” the letter states. “LANS failed to recognize the apparent discrepancies between assembled shipping papers and transfer documents relative to a classified shipment, and lacked knowledge of the contents of the shipping container, as well as the physical characteristics of the contents, which demonstrated a significant shortcoming in LANS’ processes for controlling classified matter throughout its lifecycle. Furthermore, LANS’ inquiry did not accurately reconstruct this security event and therefore, the basis for its conclusion on the possibility for compromise was not based on facts and circumstances surrounding this security event.”