Los Angeles , The Los Angeles Procurement Office was originally responsible for procurement and for administration-of the Salton Sea Test Site. By mid-1950 procurementof scientific, technical, and other materials for the operations centering in Sandia Laboratory had been transferred to Sandia Corporation, Support of Salton Sea was transferred to Sandia Corporation in March 1950. The Los Angeles Procurement Office was deactivated June 30, 1950, but a Branch Security Office was continued. Its function is to provide security services in connection with West Coast contracts, including Holmes & Narver, Engineers, Inc, Security personnel on duty there in mid-1953 totaled 20. The office also provides space for four auditors assigned from SFOO Finance Division, New York One security representative has been stationed in New York City to provide service for the numerous SFO contracts in that area which otherwise would have to be serviced by traveling representatives from other SFOO stations. Storage Sites As of July 1, 1953, storage sites were in operation at nine widely dispersed continental locations with three other sites under construction, Initial construction and equipmentof sites is budgeted by Division of Military Application with funds turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers, which performs construction through the Kansas City Area Engineer, tion of sites is by DOD. They are all located on military reservations. Selec- Once the site has been accepted for beneficial occupancy and after correction by the construction contractor of deficiency items, SFOO determines criteria, budgets for and funds additions to or modifications of storage site facilities required because of new developments or concepts to fulfill AEC responsibilities. There is a three-way operating organization. A military group performs housekeeping, supply, and all physical security, A Sandia Laboratory group performs technical direction for maintenance and modification of weapons, although the Military supplies the bulk of personnel required.. AEC-SFO personnel are weapons custodians. Administration is performed for SFOO by the Storage Operations Branch which is attached administratively to SFOO Office of Production Coordination but which reports “4 directly to the Operations Manager much in the nature of a field office. A total of 36 persons from this Branch was assigned in mid-1950 to storage sites. In mid-1953, three were assigned to Los Alamos as custodial representatives, and 101 were assigned to storage sites. Nevada Proving Grounds ud In response to weapons development requirement, a continental test site was activated January 1, 1951, on a 16 x 40 mile tract of land transferred to the AEC by the USAF from its Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range some 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Subsequently, a supplemental adjoining tract of three square miles was withdrawn from the public domain as a site for Camp Mercury, the base camp. - .7 . DOEJALQ ory