DOGE targets bizarre federal paperwork mine, exposing its reality

You might think it’s a joke. Retirement paperwork? Stored in a mine? Sounds like something out of a movie, right?

Well, buckle up. It’s actually real.

The Mine Reality

There’s a converted limestone mine in Pennsylvania. It’s not filled with gold or diamonds. Instead, it’s packed with federal retirement paperwork. Yes, you read that correctly.

Remember when Elon Musk mentioned something about this? He wasn’t kidding.

He even said, “The elevator breaks down sometimes, and nobody can retire! ” Hard to believe, isn’t it?

How Did This Happen?

Here’s the deal. The US government has been storing records there since 1960. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been using it since 1970.

The mine is huge. We’re talking about 580,000 rentable square feet. Imagine the possibilities!

What’s the Problem?

Here’s the thing. Over 700 employees work 230 feet underground. They manually process around 10,000 retirement applications each month. It can take months to get everything sorted.

A 2014 report highlighted the issue. The manual process is slow. Administrations haven’t automated it. This delays workers from getting their full retirement benefits.

They’re testing an online platform. But it’s going to take “many years” to fully implement. Think about that.

It Gets Worse

In 2015, the General Services Administration (GSA) warned that parts of the mine’s ceiling were degrading. Not ideal for storing important documents!

They even proposed finding a new space. A “long-term solution,” they called it. It’s unclear if anything has happened since then.

Who Else Uses the Mine?

It’s not just retirement paperwork. The mine also stores films and documents for private companies.

Think about it. Bill Gates’ Corbis photographic collection was stored there before being sold.

The Future?

What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re a federal employee, your retirement paperwork might be in that mine. It might take a while to process.

Is this the most efficient system? Probably not.

Hopefully, things will change. Maybe one day, retirement paperwork won’t be buried underground.