Along with the Public Service Commission, other federal agencies, including the National Archives, have the Office of Civil Defense (the forerunner of the Federal Emergency Management Agency), and the Social Security Administration began storing in the Boyers facility at about the same time. JG Franz, then Boyers mine office manager, told a newspaper reporter in 1966 that federal agencies ‘backstone equipment for everything’ has been stored in a special area of ​​Boyers to protect the records in the event of core fall.

Franz told a local newspaper that workers ‘hope we never have to worry about a nuclear explosion’, but that if one would happen, the mine would be closed safely, according to the newspaper archives judged by Wired. “The mine is equipped with an offer of 30 days of food and supplies for all the employees.”

At the time, the staff of Boyers were allegedly able to process about 600 pounds of records every day to the Facility of Washington, DC. They relied on the recently building Interstate Highway System for timely deliveries. In fact, the federal government built an exit from the Interstate 80 of Pennsylvania, specifically for ‘quick access to the mine in case of an emergency’, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Press.

There are other practical benefits that make old mine a good place to save records. For one, their typical rural and secluded settings create a layer of natural security from other types of threats. Reconnecting mines offer “excellent fire protection”, and immunity to events such as “flood, theft, civil disorder, aircraft accidents, tornadoes, lightning”, says an Iron Mountain presentation of 1999 for the national archives.

Carmichael tells Wired that access to the underground facilities he visited tends to be strictly controlled, often through heavily guarded entrances. These facilities also regularly have maze -like designs that are likely to discourage or confuse thieves as they enter some way.

Several current drivers of reused limestone mines told Wired that their caves are naturally between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, optimal temperature for most storage situations. John Smith, director of industrial real estate for the company that runs the limestone storage facility carefree industrial park near Kansas City, Missouri, said it means utility costs are ‘dramatically lower’ compared to the above -ground facilities. Its most important expenses are related to ventilation, as caves are very humid.

It’s all going wrong

Shortly before the Public Service Commission arrived at Boyers, the US Federal Retirement Appear was a mess. In a 1951 government report, “an adequate record system” was found to have not even been in place and urged the congress to insist a one. ” Initially, it looked like the team could turn things around with Boyers. The News-Herald reported in 1966 that the system at the mine works with just 55 employees “with the same efficiency and efficiency as in Washington, DC.”

However, as the number of retirees continues to climb, things fall into disarray. By the early 1980s, the Office of Staff Management was audited to find the causes of excessive delays in processing retirement claims. In 1981, the office of the government’s liability recommended that OPM develop a long -term plan for the automation of the retirement process. “