Energy - The National Nuclear Security Administration

www.nnsa.doe.gov

The National Nuclear Security Administration is a relatively new “semi-autonomous” agency within the Energy Department. Better known as NNSA, Congress created the agency in 2000 in wake of the security problems at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Overview

With a multi-billion dollar budget that takes up most of the Energy Department's spending, the agency oversees the department's nuclear laboratories and the nuclear weapons stockpile, including:

• To enhance United States national security through the military application of nuclear energy.
• To maintain and enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of the United States nuclear weapons stockpile, including the ability to design, produce, and test, in order to meet national security requirements.
• To provide the United States Navy with safe, militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants and to ensure the safe and reliable operation of those plants.
• To promote international nuclear safety and nonproliferation.
• To reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction.
• To support United States leadership in science and technology, according to its website.

Information for Regional Reporters

For regional reporters, the agency can provide good background for stories on nuclear weapons policy, nuclear nonproliferation, and nuclear counterterrorism. DOE's environmental management office handles the actual cleanup of nuclear sites, but the sites themselves fall under NNSA's jurisdiction.

If members of a delegation are voting for or against nuclear weapons policy (resuming testing, building new weapons, maintaining old weapons, etc), this is the agency to call for the administration's position or background.

Does this agency's information need updating? programs@nationalpress.org