16 July 1999
(Richardson strengthening security at DOE facilities) (660) Washington -- In a move to strengthen the security at U.S. weapons laboratories, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson announced tougher requirements for visits and assignments by foreign nationals to the Department of Energy's (DOE) national laboratories and other facilities. Such visits and assignments "will be closely monitored," he said July 14. The action is part of a package of sweeping security reforms announced May 11, which overhauled DOE's security management and oversight process and instituted new counterintelligence and cyber-security measures, cyber-threat training, and a zero-tolerance security policy. Richardson stressed that the policy covers only citizens of foreign countries. He said he would "not tolerate" having the loyalty and patriotism of Asian Pacific Americans questioned as a group "in the wake of recent espionage allegations," and noted that the new order does not apply to U.S. citizens of foreign extraction or naturalized U.S. citizens. Following is the text of a DOE press release: (begin text) U.S. Department of Energy July 14, 1999 RICHARDSON TOUGHENS REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED FOREIGN VISITS AND ASSIGNMENTS Policy Directive Strengthens Controls Over Foreign Nationals at DOE Facilities Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson today formally issued revised procedures for visits and assignments by foreign nationals to the Department of Energy's (DOE) national laboratories and other facilities. The new requirements implement recommendations in DOE's Counterintelligence Implementation Plan and President Clinton's Presidential Decision Directive, (PDD) 61. Secretary Richardson has already implemented these measures at the department's most sensitive facilities. Major changes include: -- involving counterintelligence, nonproliferation, export control and security officials at the national laboratories in the review process authorizing visits and assignments from foreign nationals; -- extending security oversight measures to DOE headquarters and DOE-sponsored off-site visits and assignments; -- granting the Secretary of Energy sole authority to approve visits and assignments from terrorist-list countries such as Sudan, Iraq and Libya. -- removing authority for facility directors to grant waivers of the DOE security requirements. Only the Secretary of Energy can approve such waivers. "Unclassified foreign visits and assignments to Department of Energy national laboratories are vital to keep U.S. scientists abreast of developments throughout the scientific world," said Secretary Richardson. "Today's directive formalizes actions I have been taking for several months to strengthen security at our national laboratories. Despite the interest of science in a free flow of information, from now on foreign national visits and assignments will be closely monitored so that they are consistent with United States foreign, nonproliferation, international energy and national security policies and agreements." Today's action is part of Secretary Richardson's sweeping security reforms announced May 11, which overhauled the department's security management and oversight process and instituted new counterintelligence and cyber-security measures, cyber-threat training and a zero-tolerance security policy. One element of the May 11 change was the establishment of an Office of Foreign Visits and Assignments Policy reporting to the new office of Security and Emergency Operations headed by DOE's Security Czar, retired Air Force General Eugene E. Habiger. The Visits and Assignments Policy Office will act as a central accounting center to track and analyze the details of foreign visits and assignments to DOE facilities to ensure that these are conducted in a secure manner. The office will ensure that foreign nationals and non-U.S. citizens working with the department on contract are approved to visit DOE facilities. Secretary Richardson emphasized that this policy covers only citizens of foreign countries, not naturalized U.S. citizens or U.S. citizens of foreign extraction. "While U.S. national security is a top priority at the labs," Secretary Richardson said, "I am also concerned that Asian Pacific Americans as a group are finding their loyalty and patriotism questioned in the wake of recent espionage allegations. This behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it. The new order makes clear that 'foreign nationals' does not include any U.S. citizens regardless of their heritage." (end text)