Federal Retirement Claims Still Processed by Hand in Underground Limestone Mine

Overview

• The Office of Personnel Management processes federal retirement claims manually in a converted limestone mine located 230 feet underground in Boyers, Pennsylvania.
• The facility employs hundreds of workers to handle approximately 10,000 retirement applications monthly, using paper-based methods and storing files in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes.
• Attempts to modernize the system have been ongoing for decades, with over $100 million spent since the 1980s, but the process remains largely analogue.
• Elon Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency, highlighted inefficiencies during a news conference with President Trump, citing issues like elevator delays and outdated infrastructure.
• A recent executive order aims to reduce the federal workforce and empower efforts to streamline operations, including potentially updating systems like the Boyers mine facility.