§ 3a.71 - Accountability for classified material.

§ 3a.71 Accountability for classified material.

(a) The Office of Administrative Operations is the central control registry for the receipt and dispatch of classified material in the Washington office and maintains the accountability register of all classified material. In addition, each Regional Engineer will maintain an accountability register for classified material of which he has custody.

(b) With the exception of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Executive Director, no individual, bureau, or office is authorized to receive, open, or dispatch classified material other than the authorized personnel in OAO or the Regional Engineers. Classified material received by other than the OAO or Regional Engineers will be delivered promptly and unopened to the Security Officer or Regional Engineer in order that it may be brought under accountable control.

(c) Each classified document received by or originating in the FERC will be assigned an individual control number by the central control registry, OAO. Control numbers will be assigned serially within a calendar year. The first digit of the four-digit control number will indicate the calendar year in which the document was originated or received in the FERC. Control numbers assigned to top secret material will be separate from the sequence for other classified material and will be prefixed by the letters “TS”. Examples:

9006 - Sixth classified document controlled by the central control registry in calendar year 1969.

TS 1006 - Sixth Top Secret document controlled by the central control registry in calendar year 1971.

(d) The accounting system for control of classified documents will be effected through the use of FERC Form 55, Classified Document Control Record and Receipt. This form will be used to:

(1) Register an accurate, unclassified description of the document; its assigned control number; and the date it is placed under accountability.

(2) Serve as the accountability register for classified material.

(3) Record all changes in status or custody of the document during its classification life or the period it is retained under accountability in the FERC.

(4) Serve as the principal basis for all classified document inventory and tracer actions.

(5) Serve as a receipt for the central control registry when the document is transferred.

(e) For Top Secret documents only, an access register, FPC Form 1286, Top Secret Access Record, for recording the names of all individuals having access to the document, will be prepared in addition to FPC Form 55. In addition, a physical inventory of all Top Secret documents will be conducted during June of each year by the Top Secret Control Officer and witnessed by a staff member holding a Top Secret clearance.

(f) When classified documents are regraded, declassified, or destroyed, the change in status will be recorded in the file copy of FPC Form 55 in the central control registry.

(g) Classified documents will not be reproduced by any means except on the specific written authority of the FPC Security Officer.

(h) In the Washington Office, classified material will be destroyed by OAO and will be accomplished by burning in the presence of a destroying official and a witnessing official. Destroying and witnessing officials will be alternate Security Officers from OAO. A record of destruction of each classified document will be maintained on FPC Form 1285. Classified Document Destruction Certificate. In addition, the date of destruction and the destruction certificate number will be recorded on the file copy of FPC Form 55 in the central control registry. The original signed copy of the destruction certificate will be retained in the central control registry. The duplicate copy will be retained by the destroying official. Regional Engineers will follow these instructions for destruction of classified material in their possession, except that the destroying official shall be the Regional Engineer and the witnessing official shall be any other individual having appropriate security clearance.

(i) It is the responsibility of any staff member who has knowledge of the loss or possible compromise of classified information immediately to report the circumstances to the Director, OAO. The Director, OAO, will notify the originating Department and any other interested Department of the loss or possible compromise in order that a damage assessment can be conducted. An immediate inquiry will be initiated by the Director, OAO, for the purpose of taking corrective action and for recommendations to the chairman, through the Review Committee, for appropriate administrative, disciplinary, or legal action.

[Order 470, 38 FR 5161, Feb. 26, 1973, as amended by Order 756, 77 FR 4893, Feb. 1, 2012]