Getting the “L” out
The National Security Sciences Building at Technical Area 3 will convert from an L and Q-cleared Limited Security Area to a Q-cleared-only Limited Security Area at the close of business on Friday.
A Q-cleared-only Limited Security Area allows unescorted access for Q-cleared personnel only.
L-cleared and uncleared personnel will require escorts after Friday. Except for the lobby of the NSSB where the coffee kiosk is, the escorting requirement for L-cleared personnel applies to the entire building and to the auditorium for all events.
The ratio for escorting within the entire building will be one Q-cleared to five non-Q-cleared personnel, unless more stringent requirements are within the NSSB Exclusion Areas (fourth and fifth floor). Offsite visitors who are Q-cleared are still required to report to the Badge Office or to be escorted by a LANL Q-cleared individual.
Facility crews will install three additional badge reader/hand geometry units on the first floor double doors facing the Administration Building, the third floor southwest side double doors facing the Metropolis Center, and on the third floor west loading dock pedestrian door. Training and badge re-enrollment won't be necessary as a part of the transition to the new access control system.
Within the NSSB, requirements for the handling of classified material do not change. The differences in requirements for Exclusion Areas versus Limited Areas can be found at http://policy.lanl.gov/pods/policies.nsf/MainFrameset?ReadForm&DocNum=ISD201-2&FileName=ISD201-2.pdf online (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
Residents of the NSSB will be limited to only Q-cleared employees—no L-cleared and uncleared personnel will have offices in the NSSB. The current L-cleared and uncleared residents must relocate outside the NSSB on a permanent basis or upon receipt of an upgraded clearance to a Q.
Beginning Monday, March 12, L-cleared and uncleared persons must log in prior to entrance into the NSSB either via the hard copy logs in the NSSB lobby or electronically via the online TA-3 Limited Area Complex U.S. Citizens Escort Log. A computer with access to the electronic log is available in the lobby. Log in requires the use of a cryptocard. The log is located at https://weblogin.lanl.gov/login.php?referer=http://int.lanl.gov/security/personnel/escort/sm43/ online.
Updates to the building and auditorium security plans reflect these enhancements and are available by clicking here (Adobe Acrobat required).
