The DOE Office of Legacy Management took responsibility for the Plowshare/Vela Uniform Records in 2019. It includes 165 separate projects that were either proposed, planned, or conducted at multiple locations within the United States. The projects were conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a predecessor agency to the U.S. Department of Energy, under the Plowshare or Vela Uniform programs during the 1960s and early 1970s. The goal of the Plowshare Program was to use nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes. Vela Uniform was conducted jointly by the AEC and the U.S. Department of Defense. Its purpose was to develop the technological ability to detect and identify underground and underwater nuclear detonations.
The 165 projects were all nonnuclear and many of the projects did not progress beyond the proposal or planning phase; some resulted in AEC activities at one or more locations. DOE maintains the Plowshare/Vela Uniform Records in Colorado and supports stakeholder engagement. For more information about the Plowshare/Vela Uniform Program sites, view the fact sheet.
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