Are US Retirement Papers Kept in Limestone Mine? What We Know [View all]

A vast underground mine is being used to store documents relating to federal workers—and Elon Musk has raised questions over its efficiency.

Why It Matters

Musk's unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been tasked with streamlining and reducing the cost of the federal government. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing the DOGE "workforce optimization initiative"; this, according to Trump, will encourage agencies to limit hiring and reduce the size of the federal government. Speaking alongside the president this week, Musk has used the facility as an example of government inefficiency.

What To Know
During the signing of the executive order on Tuesday, February 11, while talking about reducing the size of the federal government workforce, Musk referenced "a limestone mine" where "we store all the retirement paperwork" for government workers.

The facility does indeed exist. Located near Boyers, Pennsylvania, about 45 miles north of Pittsburgh, it is run by the Office of Personnel Management and processes the retirement paperwork for the entire federal workforce and has done since the mid-20th century. Newsweek has contacted the Office of Personnel Management for clarification and comment via email outside of regular working hours.

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