N-tests ‘concealed’

Press, 30 January 1984, Page 10

N-tests ‘concealed’

NZPA-Reuter New York An unknown number of nuclear explosions at the United States test site in the Nevada desert have been concealed by the Reagan Administration over the last year, the “New York Times” newspaper reports. The criterion for concealing a nuclear test is size, with very small detonations being kept secret, the newspaper quoted Government officials as saying. The White House declined to comment on the report.

Undisclosed tests signify a break with United States Government policy since 1975 of announcing all tests that had been in place, the newspaper said. In 1983, the United States announced 14 tests. A top official at a Federal laboratory that designs nuclear weapons was quoted as saying: “There’s been a decision not to announce all the tests. To me, there’s no reason to keep them from the public. In the past we’ve announced them all.”

The “Times” also quoted a high official at the Department of Energy, which makes the nation’s nuclear arms and operates the Nevada test site, as saying the undisclosed tests were very small and announcing only the larger tests was a matter of convenience. “There was simply no reason to announce them all,” the official was quoted as saying. “The size of some of the tests was such that they didn’t even create a ripple. Nobody could feel them off the test site.”