In the 2 years since the National Archives and Records Administration created the National Declassification Center, 70 percent of its document backlog was assessed, but review efforts could slow or even miss the backlog-elimination deadline because agencies have to revisit millions of pages of documents.

The findings come from a bi-annual NDC report (.pdf) covering the reporting period from July 1, 2011 to Dec. 31, 2011.

NDC is concerned that some records in the backlog--including some already assessed prior to NDC's formation--lack the required Kyl-Lott review. The "Kyl-Lott Amendment" to the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act requires additional review for nuclear weapons-related restricted data and formerly restricted data prior to its declassification.

Now, NARA personnel are working with several agencies, including the State Department and Department of the Navy to conduct required page-level reviews.

"Agencies, including Army, DIA, USAF, NSA, CIA, JCS, and WHS, are willingly undertaking the RD/FRD page-level review not yet done in the records of other agencies that should have been done prior to the stand up of the NDC," according to the NARA review.

From mid-November 2011 to the end of the year, nearly 4 million pages were addressed using this inter-agency model, writes NARA.

Executive Order 13526, issued Dec. 29, 2009, stood up the NDC and instructs it to eliminate NARA's backlog of records currently accessioned but not fully-processed for public release by Dec. 31, 2013. At the time the backlog was 400 million-pages.

With the Kyl-Lott quality assurance review underway, report authors said more documents are being added to the backlog for review. NARA is unsure whether the once on-track backlog elimination effort will meet its Dec. 31, 2013 deadline.

For more:
- download the NARA report (.pdf)

Related Articles:
NARA automatic declassification flawed but better than status quo
Government classification system cost $11.42 billion last year
Spotlight: NARA digitally releases Pentagon Papers