Finding Aids
Radioactive Fallout
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LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos, New Mexico
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) holds what is probably the largest single collection of records outside the CIC related to fallout from weapons tests. LANL has maintained both central and divisional files since the laboratory was established in 1943, and the collections are essentially complete. None of the pertinent records have been retired to federal records centers, and virtually none have been destroyed.
Most of the pertinent records are held at the LANL Records Center, which is well organized and maintained. Records on fallout in this collection fall into four categories:
- records of LANL divisions;
- classified records of the Communications and Records Management Office (CRMO);
- unclassified CRMO records; and
- records of the Manhattan Project.
Additional records are also held by operating divisions and by the Reports Library. The records of these organizations as well as those of the Records Center were screened and 34 cubic feet were copied for inclusion in the CIC. Size figures in all tables refer only to pertinent records and not entire collections.
Records of LANL Divisions
All materials transferred to the Records Center by LANL divisions are recorded on Transfer Requests (TRs), which are retained as the principal inventory documents for these materials. The division records are often files kept by individual scientists, and they are therefore somewhat eclectic in content and may contain documents duplicated in the central files; but, on the other hand, they often contain detailed information not available elsewhere. The TRs are filed by the organizational unit from which they came. For purposes of this survey, the TRs for the Weapon Test Division (J) and Health Physics Division (H) were used.
DESCRIPTION
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POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
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HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| J Division Records |
41 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
| H Division Records |
18 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
Classified CRMO Records
Since the establishment of the laboratory in 1943, LANL has maintained central files. From time to time, portions of these files have been transferred to the Records Center. Because these transfers have been within the CRMO, no Transfer Requests are prepared; but the Records Center does maintain a general description of the files. The files are organized on the Dewey Decimal System. All Dewey Decimal categories in the index were examined. Pertinent information was found in the following categories:
DESCRIPTION
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POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
|
HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| 200.5 Accidents |
2 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
| 230.61 Fallout |
1 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
| 635 Projects |
36 |
Secret/RD |
Useful |
In 1983, HAI reviewed all but approximately 70 cubic feet of these documents.
Unclassified CRMO Files
The unclassified CRMO files have been microfilmed and the hard copy destroyed. The Records Center has an index covering approximately 2,500 rolls of microfilm. The index was examined for the same categories used for the classified CRMO files. Pertinent records were found as follows:
DESCRIPTION
|
POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
|
HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| 200.5 Accidents |
22 |
Unclassified |
Essential |
| 635 Projects |
33 |
Unclassified |
Essential |
| 230.61 Fallout |
4 |
Unclassified |
Essential |
| 334 Boards and Committees |
11 |
Unclassified |
Useful |
| 319.1 Reports |
3 |
Unclassified |
Useful |
| 471.6 Weapon Tests |
5 |
Unclassified |
Useful |
| 314.7 Histories |
6 |
Unclassified |
Peripheral |
| 322 Organizations |
9 |
Unclassified |
Peripheral |
Manhattan Project Records
The Records Center holds the laboratory's records documenting the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The collection consists of 29 boxes, of which 3 contained information pertinent to fallout.
DESCRIPTION
|
POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
|
HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| Manhattan Project Records |
29 |
Secret/RD |
Peripheral |
Records Still Held by LANL Divisions
Although many divisions have transferred their records to the Records Center, some still retain files relating to fallout in their offices. Files of the J Division are still retained by the NSP/T&V Division. H Division also continues to hold pertinent files. The entire collection was surveyed, and the following pertinent files were identified:
DESCRIPTION
|
POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
|
HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| J Division Files |
17 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
| H Division Files |
4 |
Secret/RD |
Essential |
CONTACTS AT RECORDS CENTER
Tony Rivera or Clara Salazar
Mail Stop C-322
CRM-1
Archives Records, Forms, & Micrographic Management
University of California
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663
Los Alamos, NM 87545
(505) 667-5079
Los Alamos Reports Library
The LANL Reports Library contains thousands of reports, both classified and unclassified, on all aspects of weapons testing. The reports are cross-indexed by topic, author, test series, subheadings within the test series, and research organizations. Thus, not all pertinent material is to be found under "Fallout" as a heading. By utilizing the subheadings under "Fallout" and checking each test series for related reports, it was possible to develop a list of specific reports pertinent to the survey. More than 900 reports were identified.
DESCRIPTION
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POTENTIALLY RELEVANT (FEET)
|
HIGHEST CLASSIFICATION
|
VALUE
|
| LANL Technical Reports |
25 |
Secret/RD |
Useful |
CONTACT AT TECHNICAL REPORTS LIBRARY
Dan Baca, IS-4
Los Alamos Report Library
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663
Mail Stop 5000 (for classified) and Mail Stop P364 (unclassified)
Los Alamos, NM 87545
(505) 667-4446
HAI COLLECTION EFFORT
(volume in cubic feet)
DESCRIPTION
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SCREENED
|
SELECTED
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IN PROCESS
|
SENT TO CIC
|
| LANL Collections |
266 |
34.8 |
0 |
34.8 |
  
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