PROCEDURE FOR APPROVAL OF CERTAIN NUCLEAR TESTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000200020040-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: November 8, 1963
• Content Type: MEMO

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Date F November 1963
TO Deputy Director/Intelligence
Att: Assistant Director /National Estimate
Deputy Director/Sc:ieencee & Technology
Att: Assistant ir.ctor/Scientific Intelligence
SUBJECT : Procedure for Approval of Certain Nuclear Tests
REFERENCE: NSAA1 No. 269 DOE review completed.
! . NSAM No. 269 establishes a committee for the review
of U. S. n :l"r tests which "might give rise to a claimed violation
of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.., The Director of Central Intelligence
is named as a member of this committee. Agencies sponsoring a
nuclear test are required by this NSA M to prepare detailed studios of
effects associated with such tests which include analyses of the distri-
bution of radioactive debris, atmospheric effects, possibility of
foreign detection, visible phenomena and planned or expected publicity.
2. In order that CIA can provide the effective staff support
for the ICI as a member of this committee, it will be necessary that
the Office of Scientific Intelligence provide the necessary technological
support, and the Office of National Estimates provide the necessary
analysis of foreign reaction. To this effect the Assistant Director/
Scientific Intelligence is designated as the focal point for providing
the staff support to the DCI and will work in close collaboration with
the Assistant Director/National Estimates.
OSD REVIEW COMPLETED
NSC review(s) completed.
(signed) Lyman B.'Kirkpatrlck
Lyman B. l itrkpatrick
Executive Director
SUSPENSE DATE:
LB K: drm
Distribution: Original and 1 - DD/S&T 2 - DD/I
l:J J- ER.; 1 -ExDir W/o a&..
(OLASSIFIC ION)
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lllrector Oil ral intelligence
November 6, 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR HOLDERS OF NSAM'S NOS. 210 AND 269
SUBJECT: Review Committee on Underground Nuclear Tests
1. In view of the close similarity of the composition
and functions of the committees established under NSAM's Nos.
210 and 269, the two committees have been combined into a com-
mittee to be called the "Review Committee on Underground
Nuclear Tests".
2. The Review Committee, under the chairmanship
of the Special Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs, will be composed of the Secretaries of State and Defense,
the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Director of
Central Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the
Director of the Bureau of the Budget, and the Special Assistant
to the President for Science and Technology, or their designated
representatives.
3. The Review Committee will perform the functions
specified in NSAM's Nos. 210 and 269 which the new Committee
will replace.
McGeorge Bundy
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?
THE_ W-.,TE HOUSE
Decor.:boz? 12, 1962
SECRE
NATIONAL SECLTY ACT ?O`:
Th3 Secretary of Mate
The Secretary of DeenSC
Atomic Energy Corn~^1ission
T-1,
_c craz _ nz n,
T_~e Dir. ctor, -_ce of Science and Technology
The Director, Bureau of the Budget
The Director, Arms Control and DisarmamentAgency
SUBJECT: Underground Nuclear Tests
l The Preside has directed the establishment of a Working
Group on Underground Nuclear 'Vests to be comprised of representatives
of the Departments of State and D _ense, the Special Assistant to the y
President for National Security fairs (Chairman.), the Atomic Energ
and the Office of Science and
d
t
`
,
the Bu
ge
Bureau o
Commission, the
Technolog'~? The departmental representatives should be designated
promptly and their names reported to this office.
he schedule of tests r
t
o
hnical
2. The `"forking Group %~r-rY 1964,
and the policy and tec
the rem-finder of FY 1963 and fogr
justifications therefor, to determine if the schedule is consistent with
the requirements of national security and with foreign policy.
3. The Group's conclusions and recommendations should be
transmitted to the president as soon a possible
March 4, 1963.
McGeorge Bundy
Information copies to:
The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director, of Central lntel;.igence
SECRET
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASH NGTON?
August 30, 1963
SECRET
MEMORANDUM FOR HOLDERS OF NSAM NO. 210
SUBJECT: Review of the FY 1964 Underground Testing Program
1. The President has requested that the e xistingia1 tes964
artt ban
e
p
underground testing program be reviewed in light of tr
ratification of which appears to be imminent, and the statements
August 23,
treaty,
to the Chairman of the Senate Armed e Services Committee c.retary of Defense.
op Secret annex thereto, both signed by Deputy
T
2. The Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of the Defense are requested to initiate review ~Pd tohouLnl, trtheoir recotemstimneg
gram for which they are responsible, group established
polithecy wo and rki technical gchnical 3ustifica-
tions for any revisions in the. program
the to
by NSAM No. 210, for iis review i'he working group will generally
tions supporting the reconnnlendations.
consistent with the re-
review
of national security and with foreign policy.
3. In view of possible implications for certain appropria-
tions requests now pending before the Congress, the President has re-
quested that the results of this review be transmitted to him as soon
quested 23, 1963. The agency reconz?
as possible and no later than September ~.j~ b September 16.
mendations should be forwarded to the working group Y
McGeorge Bundy
SECRET
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% 7&
IN:uy 15, 1c,,3
i. The President has reviewed the list of underground
tests ;-Droposed for FY 1964 by t_.e De a_tment of Defense and
the AE'C. He has directed t=_a.t the present budget estimates
be maintained. Within this bud`fetary ceiling, he has approved
a CllOta of 310 w,;apGnS deVelO_D:--i:, .it tests and 15 other tests.
The AEC and the DO ,, with such assistance as they
may :ec est from the interagency corn ._-iittee established by
210, are requested to develop a program within these
nit s and present it for final a-toroval.
Should a decision .ie made to develop very large yield
wadi ad , additional underground tests needed for that develop-
mk-nt program can be presented for approval outside these
quotas,
McGeorge Bundy
del
%I
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%
October 31, 1963
NATIONAL SECURITY ACTION MEMORANDUM NO. 269
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense
The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director of Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The Special Assistant to the President for Science
and Technology
SUBJECT: Procedure for Approval of Certain Nuclear Tests
The President has directed that the following procedure be instituted
for the review and approval of nuclear tests that might violate or be
regarded as violating the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. A nuclear test
that is intended to be fully contained underground will be included in
this category if there is a significant possibility that the test will place
measurable amounts of radioactive debris beyond the boundaries of the
United States under circumstances in which the debris could be credibly
related to the test. Any other nuclear test which by its nature could
reasonably give rise to domestic or foreign charges of a violation of
the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty will be included in this category even
though the sponsoring agency believes that the charges would prove
to be unfounded.
1. In planning the nuclear test program, the Atomic Energy
Commission and Department of Defense will make every effort to
avoid tests that might be regarded as being a violation of the Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty. It is recognized that this will be a matter of judgment
since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty does not contain precise technical
criteria as to the nature of prohibited tests.
2. If the Atomic Energy Commission or the Secretary of Defense
believes after careful study that a particular test should remain in the
program despite the possibility that it might give rise to a claimed
violation of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the sponsoring agency will
submit the test for review by a committee, under the chairmanship
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of the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs,
composed of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Chairman
of the Atomic Energy Commission, Director of Central Intelligence,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of the Arms Control
and Disarmament Agency and the Special Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology, or their designated representatives.
3. In support of the proposals for each nuclear test of this type,
the sponsoring agency will prepare for the reviewing committee a
detailed study of the importance of the proposed test and the possible
direct or indirect effects associated with the test that might be
regarded as evidence of a violation of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
The study of effects associated with the test will include an analysis
of a) the anticipated distribution of particulate and gaseous radio-
active debris under the full range of possible meteorological conditions;
b) the extent to which blast, electromagnetic, and other direct radiation
phenomena associated with the test will occur in the atmosphere;
c) the possibility that various foreign countries would be able to
detect the anticipated level of radioactive debris and other phenomena
associated with the tests with their detection instrumentation; d)
visible phenomena in the vicinity of the test site; and e) planned or
expected publicity.
4. The reviewing committee will be given sufficient notice of
proposals for nuclear tests of this type to permit adequate consideration
by the committee and any necessary action with minimum impact
on the program in question.
5. If the committee finds that the proposed test is acceptable
under the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the committee will submit its
recommendation to the President for his approval. No test of this
type will be conducted without the approval of the President after
the procedure prescribed in this memorandum.
McGeorge Bundy
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