[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