A FORMER limestone mine now used to store troves of government files is under the microscope of Elon Musk and his DOGE officials who are tasked with cutting government waste.
Inside the facility in Boyers, Pennsylvania, are 22,000 cabinets and an estimated 400 million sheets of paper – the retirement applications of federal government workers.
The structure is 220 feet below ground and the shaft is a shield from natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
It has been a record storing hub since the 1950s but before it was converted, the mine was used to excavate limestone, which would then be shipped to steel mills.
The storage facility has caught Musk’s attention and he branded it a “time warp.”
There are 700 workers who process 10,000 retirement applications a month.
The documents are then stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes.
But officials at the Department of Government Efficiency taskforce have cast a closer light on it.
Billionaire Joe Gebbia, the co-founder of Airbnb, revealed inside the mine there are 22,000 filing cabinets.
He told Fox Newsjournalist Bret Baier that there are 400 million pieces of paper inside the mine.
Gebbia, the mastermind behind the Digital Retirement Project, explained it takes months for retirement applications to be processed, and has vowed to transform the workings of government.
“We really believe that government can have an Apple store-like experience,”; he told Baier.
“Beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems.”;
Musk has attracted criticism for his chainsaw-like approach to cutting government waste, but has described his efforts as a “revolution.”;
“This is a revolution and I think it might be the biggest revolution in the government since the original revolution.”;
Last month, Musk revealed during a question and answer session in the White House that the mine’s lift breaks down.
“The elevator breaks down sometimes, and nobody can retire,”; he claimed.
“Doesn't that sound crazy?”;
Officials at Iron Mountain, the data company which bought the mine in 1998, say the fact it’s underground reduces the risk of it being a spy target.
THE MINE'S FEATURES
Iron Mountain leases the mine to the federal government.
The data center has armed checkpoints and mantraps, which makes it extremely difficult to enter it.
It is monitored by 24/7 security, has metal detectors and surveillance cameras.
Limestone is a fire-resistant which makes it an ideal location for storing government files.
And, documents are unlikely to be impacted as wild temperature fluctuations are extremely rare.
The data center is also energy efficient because it is naturally colder underground.
This means that bosses do not have to invest in expensive cooling systems.
CONTROVERSIAL CLAIMS
Musk’s claims about the elevator proved controversial and former workers lashed out at the Tesla mogul.
“I'm not aware of an elevator in the mine,”; Kenneth Zawodny, a Retirement Operations Center manager, told the CBS affiliate KDKA-TV.
“I never saw one when I worked in the mine.
“There may be one. It's not used by my former organization at all if there is one there.”;
He revealed claims were being processed within 60 days.
Zawodny admitted that when he assumed the role in 2011, it was taking more than 140 days to process applications.
He claimed workers had been “stymied”; due to inefficiencies when rolling out automation services.
Since being asked by Trump to lead DOGE, Musk has targeted a raft of agencies and government departments.
His task is to find $1 trillion worth of savings by 2026.
DOGE has already cut scores of contracts from government departments, including the Department of Education, the Defense Department, and the US Agency for International Development.
Thousands of jobs are being cut from federal agencies.
It's expected that 10,000 jobs in the Department of Health and Human Services will be scrapped.
More than 18,000 jobs are being cut from the Internal Revenue Service and the Pentagon could axe more than 50,000 staffers.
DOGE has claimed to have saved an estimated $130 billion, according to its website. This equates to $807.45 per taxpayer.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's complicated relationship
Former president Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's relationship started rocky, but the pair have since reconciled, with Musk fully endorsing Trump and interviewing him on X Spaces on August 12.
In 2022, Elon Musk and Donald Trump publicly feuded on X, then still known as Twitter.
Trump called Musk a liar and “bulls**t artist” during a rally in Alaska.
“Elon is not going to buy Twitter,” Trump said at the time.
“You know, he said the other day, ‘I've never voted for a Republican.' I said, ‘I didn't know that – you told me you voted for me. So he's another bulls**t artist, but he's not going to be buying it.”
In response to Trump's critiques, the SpaceX founder clapped back.
“I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset,” Musk posted.
Musk also went on to buy X months later.
The X owner said he had previously voted mostly for Democrats since becoming a United States citizen in 2002.
Musk initially backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee.
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist,” Musk wrote on X in 2022.
“I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far.”
His shift in political parties might be attributed to his plummeting relationship with President Joe Biden who didn't invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Despite their past issues, Trump and Musk's relationship took a turn in March after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also previously against electric vehicles but has since changed his stance.
“I’m for electric cars,” he said at a rally earlier this month.
“I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice.”
Following the assassination attempt at Trump's rally in July, Musk announced his support for the former president.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote on X after the shooting.
During a recent press conference, Trump spoke highly of Musk.
“I respect Elon a lot. He respects me,” he said.
“Elon, more than almost anybody I know, he loves this country. He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger.”
Musk has been pictured at events at Mar-a-Lago and the UFC, buddying up with Trump.
Trump selected Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency – a taskforce aimed at cutting bureaucracy.
