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Mr. Fine referred to the fact that deuterium, which is
made from heavy water, is an essential ingredient of thermonuclear weapons and pointed out that when the U.S. sells heavy
water to other countries, these countries agree to use it only
for peaceful pruposes. He observed, however, that if U.S
heavy water technology were declassified, the U.S. would have
no control over the use of this information by other countries.
N.r. Strauss said he believed that for this reason the technology
of heavy water plants should remain classified. With regard to
the declassification of zirconium-hafnium separation technology,
the Commissioners indicated that they would consider favorably
such &@ recommendation.
The Commissioners then considered the possibility of
downgrading the classification of gaseous diffusion plant technology. Mr. Libby said he did not believe that the downgrading
of the classification of this information would make a substantial
contribution to basic engineering knowledge in other fields. He
also indicated that he believed private industry would find it too
expensive to construct and operate a gaseous diffusion plant.
For these reasons and because he considered gaseous diffusion
technology related to weapons production, Mr. Libby said he could
find no justification for downgrading the information.
Mr. Marshall said that most of the gaseous diffusion plant
technology, now recommended for downgrading, was already being
treated as ‘‘Confidential’’ rather than ‘‘Secret’’ since the classi-~
fication guide in use at the time of the Paducah expansion had not
distinguished between ‘*‘Secret’’ and **Confidential’*. However,
according to the most recently approved classification guide,
the same information should be classified ‘‘Secret'’. Therefore,
N.r. Marshall, said, in order for diffusion plant operations to
be brought into conformity with the new guide, it is necessary
either to upgrade many of the documents concerning diffusion
plant technology to *‘Secret** or formally downgrading the technology to ‘‘Confidential’® and thereby permit continued handling
of the documents on a ‘'Confidential’* basis. Mr. N.arshall pointed
out that upgrading this information to ‘Secret’ in accordance with
the new guide would entail a large expenditure of time and money
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