In‘ 1977 President Jimmy Carter, following his campaign promise to give energy reorganization a high priority, proposed the establishment of a single cabinet level Department of Energy to be created from several existing energy agencies. He obtained legislation creating the department and activated it on October 1, 1977. ‘The entire nuclear weapon program was transferred to the new department and placed under an assistant secretary for defense programs.>’ In contrast to 1975 only one Congressman raised the question of whether it was appropriate to assign the weapon program to a civilian energy agency. The Weapon Program of the Department of Fneroy The department launched a camprehensive weapon program, including the production of Trident/Poseidon warheads, the development of warheacs for Minuteman and Cruise missiles, fired projectiles. nuclear weapons. and plans for improved artictery The department continued to study new generations c= In November 1977 the department announced the carmpie- tion at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory of a major facility designec +o conduct laser-driven fusion research. The department foresaw creat progress using carbon dioxide lasers of even greater power and inten- sity, and erected a laser fusion laboratory at Los Alamos as well as a Particle Beam Fusion Facility at Sandia Laboratories. To support the Carter Administration’ s search for a comprehensive test ban treaty “ne department also pursued a vigorous program of seismic research anc placed an advanced seismic detection station at McMinnville, Tennessee. The department conducted a nuclear weapon accident exercise at me Nevada Test Site and initiated a program to improve and arrest deter:cration in the aging nuclear weapon production plants. 7°