2002 FOIA Annual Report

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ANNUAL REPORT
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002

The Department received a total of 17,722 initial requests for records during fiscal year 2002.

I.  Basic Information Regarding Report

A. For questions concerning this report, please contact Miriam McD. Miller, Co-counsel for Administrative Law, Office of the Solicitor, Room N-2428, U.S. Department  of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.  20210, telephone number (202) 693-5522.

B. The electronic address for this report is on the World Wide Web at http://www.dol.gov/dol/foia/main.htm.

C. You may obtain a paper copy of this report by writing to Ms. Miller at the above address.

II.  How to Make a FOIA Request

The Department of Labor is organized into divisions and agencies often referred to as "components".  Within the Labor Department, each component processes its own FOIA requests.  Therefore, a request will receive the fastest possible response if it is addressed directly to the disclosure officer for the component that a requester believes has the records. 

Requesters who cannot determine the proper disclosure officer to which the request should be addressed may direct the request to the Office of the Solicitor, Division of Legislation and Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Labor,  200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,  Room N-2428, Washington, D.C. 20210.

A.  The following list contains the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the individual agency components and offices in the national office.  Unless otherwise specified, the mailing address for the following national office components is as follows:

U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Room SL-33
Washington, DC  20210

1.  Office of the Secretary of Labor, tel. (202) 693-7277.

2.  Office of the Solicitor of Labor, tel. (202) 693-5522.

3.  Office of the Administrative Law Judges, 800 K Street, N.W., Suite N-400, Washington, D.C.  20001-8002, tel. (202) 693-7440.

4.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, tel. (202) 693-7277.

5.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, tel. (202) 693-4600.

6.  Office of the Inspector General, tel. (202) 693-5116.

7.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, tel. (202) 693-5082.

8.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, tel. (202) 693-4654.

9.  Bureau of International Labor Affairs, tel. (202) 693-4790.

10.  Bureau of Labor Statistics, Postal Square Building, Room 4040, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20212-0001, tel. (202) 691-5107.

11.  Employment Standards Administration, tel. (202) 693-0256.

12.  Employment and Training Administration, tel. (202) 693-3140.

13.  Mine Safety and Health Administration, 1100 Wilson Boulevard, 21st Floor, Arlington, Virginia  22209, tel. (202) 693-9424.

14.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration, tel. (202) 693-1897.

15.  Employee Benefits Security Administration, formerly known as the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, tel. (202) 693-8655.

16.  Office of the Chief Financial Officer, tel. (202) 693-6806.

17.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training, tel. (202) 693-4745.

18.  Office of the Associate Deputy Secretary for Adjudication, tel. (202) 693-5025.

19.  Employees' Compensation Appeals Board, tel. (202) 693-5025.

20.  Administrative Review Board, tel. (202) 693-5025.

21.  Benefits Review Board, tel. (202) 693-5025.

22.  The Office of Disability  Employment Policy, tel. (202) 693-4930.  

23.  The Office of Small Business Programs, tel. (202) 693-6474.

24.  Women's Bureau, tel. (202) 693-6735.

The heads of the foregoing components shall make available for inspection and copying, in accordance with the provisions of the FOIA, records in their custody or in the custody of component units within their organizations, either directly or through their authorized representative in particular offices and locations.

The addresses and telephone numbers for the various regional offices are presented below.  The telephone number which is listed is for the Department's Office of Administration and Management (OASAM) for that region.  That office can provide the requester with a more specific telephone number for the respective component.  Unless otherwise specified, the mailing address for these regional offices by region, shall be:

Region I:

U.S. Department of Labor
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Boston, Massachusetts 02203
Telephone:  (617)  565-1991
(For Wage and Hour only:  Contact Region III)

Region II:

U.S. Department of Labor
201 Varick Street
New York, New York 10014
Telephone:  (212)  337-2215
(For Wage and Hour only:  Contact Region III)

Region III:

U.S. Department of Labor
The Curtis Center, Suite 600 East
170 S. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  19106-3305
Telephone:  (215)  861-5030

Region IV:

U.S. Department of Labor 
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Telephone:  (404)  562-2018

(OWCP Only)
U.S. Department of Labor
214 N. Hogan Street, Suite 1006
Jacksonville, Florida  32202 
Telephone:  (904)  357-4725

Region V:

U.S. Department of Labor
Kluczynski Federal Building
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Telephone:  (312)  353-8373

(FECA only)
U.S. Department of Labor
1240 East Ninth Street, Room 851
Cleveland, Ohio  44199 
Telephone:  (216) 357-5372

Region VI:

U.S. Department of Labor
525 Griffin Square Building
Griffin & Young Streets
Dallas, Texas  75202
Telephone:  (214)  767-6800

Region VII:

U.S. Department of Labor
City Center Square Building
1100 Main Street
Kansas City, Missouri  64105-2112
Telephone:  (816)  426-3891
(For Wage and Hour only:  Contact Region V)

(OFCCP only)
U.S. Department of Labor
1100 Main Street, Suite 860
Kansas City, Missouri 64105 
Telephone:  (816) 502-0370

Region VIII:

U.S. Department of Labor
1999 Broadway
Denver, Colorado  80202
Telephone:  (303)  844-1700
(For Wage and Hour and OFCCP:  Contact Region VI)

(OWCP only)
U.S. Department of Labor
1999 Broadway, Suite 600
Denver, Colorado  80201 
Telephone:  (720)  264-3038

The mailing address for the Director of the Regional Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training in Region VIII is:

Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training
U.S. Custom House
721 ‑ 19th Street, Room 465
Denver, Colorado  80202
Telephone:  (303)  844-4791

Region IX:

U.S. Department of Labor
71 Stevenson Street
San Francisco, California  94105
Telephone:  (415)  975-4057

Region X:

U.S. Department of Labor
1111 Third Avenue
Seattle, Washington  98101-3212
Telephone:  (415)  975-4057
(For Wage and Hour only:  Contact Region IX)

B.  Agency response-time.

The agency's response-time ranges generally from five to fifty days.  Complex requests usually take more time.

C.  Why some requests are not granted.

A FOIA request can be made for any agency record.  This does not mean, however, that the Labor Department will disclose every record sought.  There are statutory exemptions that authorize the withholding of certain information.  In addition, the agency cannot comply with a FOIA request if there are no responsive records.

Another reason for not granting  a FOIA request is that the FOIA does not require agencies to do research for the requester, to analyze data, to answer questions, or to create records in order to respond to a FOIA request.

III.  Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report
   (To be included in each report)

A.  Agency-specific acronyms or other terms.

1.  OALJ    Administrative Law Judges

2.  ASP     Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy

3.  CFO    Chief Financial Officer

4.  ESA   Employment Standards Administration

5.  ETA     Employment and Training Administration

6.  ILAB   Bureau of International Labor

7.  BLS      Bureau of Labor Statistics

8.  MSHA   Mine Safety and Health Administration

9.  OSHA   Occupational Safety and Health Administration

10.  OADJS  Office of Adjudicatory Services

11.  OASAM  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management

12.  OCIA    Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

13.  ODEP  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy

14.  OIG   Office of the Inspector General

15.  PWBA   Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, now known as the Employee Benefits Security Administration

16.  OSBP  Office of Small Business Programs

17.  SOL   Office of the Solicitor

18.  VETS Veterans' Employment and Training Service

19. WB    Womens Bureau

B.  Basic terms, expressed in common terminology.

1.  FOIA/PA request--Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request.  A FOIA request is generally a request for access to records concerning a third party, an organization, or a particular topic of interest.  A Privacy Act request is a request for records concerning oneself; such requests are also treated as FOIA requests.  (All requests for access to records, regardless of which law is cited by the requester, are included in this report.)

2.  Initial Request--a request to a federal agency for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act.

3.  Appeal--a request to a federal agency asking that it review at a higher administrative level a full denial or partial denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act, or any other FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees.

4.  Processed Request or Appeal--a request or appeal for which an agency has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all respects.

5.  Multi-track processing--a system in which simple requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous and complex requests are placed in one or more other tracks.  Requests in each track are processed on a first-in/first-out basis.  A requester who has an urgent need for records may request expedited processing (see below).

6.  Expedited processing--an agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis when a requester has shown an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants giving priority to his or her request over other requests that were made earlier.

7.  Simple request--a FOIA request that an agency using multi-tracking processing places in its fastest (nonexpedited) track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.

8.  Complex request--a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity of records requested.

9.  Grant--an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request.

10.  Partial grant--an agency decision to disclose a record in part in response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be exempt under one or more of the FOIAs exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their entireties, but to withhold others in whole or in part.

11.  Denial--an agency decision not to release any part of a record or records in response to a FOIA request because all the information in the requested record is determined by the agency to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA's exemptions, or for some procedural reason (such as because no record is located in response to a FOIA request).

12.  Time limits--the time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to respond to a  FOIA request (ordinarily 20 working days from proper receipt of a perfected FOIA request).

13.  A Perfected request--a FOIA request for records which adequately describes the records sought, which has been received by the FOIA office of the agency or agency component in possession of the records, and for which there is no remaining question about the payment of applicable fees.

14.  Exemption 3 statute--a separate federal statute prohibiting the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its withholding under FOIA subsection (b)(3).

15.  Median number--the middle, not average, number.  For example, of  3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.

16.  Average number--the number obtained by dividing the sum of a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group.  For  example, of 3, 7, and 14, the average is 8.

IV. Exemption 3 Statutes

  A. List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on by this agency during fiscal year 2002.

1.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration withheld the disclosure of advance notice of safety inspections under the authority of section 17(f) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 666(f)).

2.  The Office of Labor-Management Standards invoked section 304(a) of the Labor-Management Reporting and  Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA) (29 U.S.C. 464(a)) to protect the identities of complainants in investigations.  This office also withheld grand jury material pursuant to Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

3.  The Mine Safety and Health Administration withheld the names of miners, pursuant to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, section 103(g)(1) (30 U.S.C.813(g)(1)), who requested safety inspections. It also withheld information to protect the confidentiality of coal mine maps pursuant to section 312(b) of the statute (30 U.S.C. 872(b)).

Except for Rule 6(e) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the withholding of information under the statutes, cited above, has not, as yet, been litigated in the courts under the FOIA.

V.  INITIAL FOIA/PA ACCESS REQUESTS

A.  NUMBERS OF INITIAL REQUESTS.

B.  DISPOSITION OF INITIAL REQUESTS.

B.  OTHER REASONS FOR NONDISCLOSURE.

VI.  Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests

A.  Numbers of appeals.

1.  Number of appeals received during fiscal year 2002:  263

2.  Number of appeals processed during fiscal year 2002:  319

B.  Disposition of appeals.

1.  Number completely upheld: 66

2.  Number partially reversed:  130

3.  Number completely reversed:  10 [4]

  a.  number of times each FOIA exemption was used

(counting each exemption once per appeal)

(1) Exemption 1:  0 

(2) Exemption 2:  15

(3) Exemption 3:  1

(4) Exemption 4:  30

(5) Exemption 5:  107

(6) Exemption 6:  13

(7) Exemption 7(A):  23

(8) Exemption 7(B):  0

(9) Exemption 7(C):  136

(10) Exemption 7(D):  99

(11) Exemption 7(E):  11

(12) Exemption 7(F):  1

(13) Exemption 8:  0

(14) Exemption 9:  0

4.  Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):  113

a.  no records:  23

b.  referrals:  2

c.  appeal withdrawn:  58

d.  fee-related reason: 1

e.  records not reasonably described:  0

f.  not a proper FOIA appeal for some other reason:  5

g.  not an agency record:  0

h.  duplicate request:  2

i.  other (specify): 22; miscellaneous reasons

VII.  COMPLIANCE WITH TIME LIMITS/STATUS OF PENDING REQUESTS

  A. Median Processing Time for RequesTS Processed DURING THE YEAR 

*  Almost all of the requests for expedited processing were granted by the component.
 

  B. STATUS OF PENDING REQUESTS

IX.  COSTS/FOIA STAFFING

  IX. FEES

  A.  TOTAL AMOUNT OF FEES COLLECTED BY AGENCY
FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS.

B.  PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL COSTS:  1.71%

The electronic address for accessing the Department's FOIA regulations, 29 CFR Part 70, is on the Department's web site at http://www.dol.gov/dol/foia/main.htm.  In addition, they can be accessed on the World Wide Web at GPO Access, a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office, at:  http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. 

  / signed/

_________________________

Howard M. Radzely

Acting Solicitor of Labor

[1] In order to reconcile these calculations, please refer to the adjacent column, setting forth "Other Reasons for Nondisclosure".

[2] This column is repeated on page 12.

[3] This column is a repeat from page 10.

[4] Please refer to the calculation for item 4, below,  in order to reconcile these calculations.