October 3, 2017

Andrew Weston-Dawkes
Director, Office of Classification
US Department of Energy


Dear Dr. Weston-Dawkes:

This is a proposal for declassification pursuant to 10 C.F.R. 1045.20 
regarding information classified under the Atomic Energy Act.

We request that the Department of Energy (and the Department of Defense) 
authorize the declassification of the size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile 
and the number of weapons dismantled as of the end of Fiscal Year 2017.

As you know, the Departments of Energy and Defense have previously 
declassified such information for each fiscal year through FY 2016.  
We are now requesting that similar information be disclosed for the 
fiscal year that has just concluded.

The reasons for the proposed declassification are the same as the 
reasons for the Department's previous declassification of stockpile 
information:  Nuclear transparency can strengthen non-proliferation 
efforts, and can lay a foundation for future arms control efforts.

Furthermore, as a matter of principle, information should remain 
classified only when doing so serves a valid and compelling national 
security purpose.  We suggest that continued classification of the 
size of the nuclear stockpile does not meet that criterion.

We therefore request that the Department consider declassifying 
this information, as provided in 10 C.F.R. 1045.20.

Thank you for your consideration.


Steven Aftergood

_____________________

Steven Aftergood
Project on Government Secrecy
Federation of American Scientists
1725 DeSales Street NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC  20036

email: saftergood@fas.org
voice: (202)454-4691