8/14/2019 Mount Weather Northeast Blackout Documents

1/4

November 23 1965

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD ON POWER FAILURE IN THENORTHEAST U.S. NOVEMBER 9 1965 AND THE ABLE L E R ~ACTIVATED IN RESPONSE TO THE POWER FAILURE

All decis ions based on Duty Officer Log in order of events as theyhappened.Cause of power failure could not be determined after thorough checkof all our normal channels of information including the Joint Chief ofStaff Command Post. This is reflected in the D. 0 Log.Several mil i tary establ ishments were also out of power and weregradually resor t ing to their own generating capabil i t ies this includesthe Air Divisions concerned.The lack of specific information at the t ime plus the state of confusionthat exis ted in the Northeast U.S. the fact that sabotage enemyactions or unknown phenomena were all possibil i t ies led the DirectorC. L. to recommend to the Director O E P the implementat ion of theABLE condition. Recommendation was approved and so car r ied out.Had there been any of the above possibi l i t ies proven an ATLAS conditionwould have been recommended.The expenditure involved in the conduct of this ABLE condition wasjustif ied in that it provided an insurance that had the situation developedto the cont rary we would have been ready to perform our mission asassigned.The let ter of commendation f rom the Director OEP a t tached showshis appreciation to our response.This concludes the repor t of activities in connection with this incident.

LBJ LIBR RY

/ 7 ~ ~J Leo Bourassa ChiefSpecial Facil i t ies Division

8/14/2019 Mount Weather Northeast Blackout Documents

2/4

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTOFFICE OF EM E RGENCY PLANN I N G

WA SHINGTO N, D C

OFI ICE r THE OIRECTOR November 17, 1965

t

.

LBJ LIBR RY

Dear Leo:I jus t want you to know that you and your staffdid a terr i f ic job during the period of then r theas tern blackout. I am real proud ofyour performance and it is a pleasure to workwith yo u .

M r . J . Leo BourassaChief, Special Facil i t ies Divis ionOffice of Emergency Planning

8/14/2019 Mount Weather Northeast Blackout Documents

3/4

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PLANNII .

UTY OIFFIC EIR LOSDateNoy .q -10 1 J06SDuty hours 16.30 to 0800

Duty OCCicer name Tborras W. aeanYour scheduled relief is

TIME

16201755

1814181618251827

18.3418.381840184518551856

1905

191.31945

Form OEP 75October 1962

LBJ LIBRARY

.REMARKS

Report ,.on duty to Communications Center.7Mr. Bourassa cs.lled. Regional Director O Connor had reportedpower ehut off al l over Northeast. Mr. B. would eet in touch withJCS, Comm nd Post and be back.

Guard called, sa id alarm light showing in Building 1.Hr. Bourassa called back; informed alarm l ight show ingTCS called, said Washington ~ J i t b h h9d call from I terior Depar tmenasking for Interior Duty Officer. Gave 1-lr. Agnew 6 home number Joined to Charlie Conference in which Bourassa exchanged viewswith conferees, said would be back.Mr. Bourassa ca lled, said hed bad Charlie Conference and vould bo b: ckMr. Elliot t called for information.Assistant Director Cosgrove called for information.

A\ lkJill . Bourassa called, said had called A.t-la's alert} i n s t r u c t ~ n e torepor t immediately to his office in Area BllArrived Mr. Bourassa s office.Hr. Riordan called, said wanted to be connected to Army Supply Cent ra t Niagara Falls 1 ~ u n i c i J : a l Airport. Called TCS and r ~ s t conne< ibe wad e but was told TCS was swamped with ale r t calls and co\ud nota t the time.Rep. Horton called, seeking i n f o r ~ ~ t i o Gave him Mr. O Connor smnnber.

C ~ l l e d 5171 to request al l AP a nd UPI copy on blackout bJ rushed toMr. Bourassa's ~ f f i c eMr. Bourassa i n s t r u Guard t o pass word to a l l in Area n to r eporto Area B.

Signature of Duty Olllcer

8/14/2019 Mount Weather Northeast Blackout Documents

4/4

OFFICE OF EMERGE NCY PlANNI

UTY OfFI lEfil OGDuty Officer name ,__ _

Date - - Duty hours Your schedul ed re ef is -

.

TIME REMAR KS

Report on duty to Communications Center./ oll( c2005 l 1r. Bourassa went on p1ging system tQ exP lain .A:t:la:a .2030 Mr Smith reported total personnel rece1ved m facillty at 502.

2040 Mr Bourassa we nt on p1ging sys tem to reFeat explanation .2110 Region 2 reports no outage r emains i n that r egion .2130 Mr Smith reported total pe rsonnel received in facility_at 605.2140 Mr . Bourassa went on paging system t o repe t explanati on .2328 Mr . Bourassa , upon i nstruction from Deputy Dir ector Dryden, cance11rdA l let tn .

I

L ~Slg noture o Duty omW

Forrn OEP 7October 19 62

LBJ LIBRARY