To assist you with your request, we have provided information on the procedures, rules and regulations pertinent to the Corps of Engineers’ processing of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Also provided are links to various sites, which you may find helpful in understanding and interpreting the Act.

FOIA requests applicable to the Norfolk District should be made in writing and addressed to:

US Army, Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District
ATTN: FOIA Officer
803 Front St.
Norfolk, VA 23510-1096

Please direct inquiries regarding FOIA request status and processing to our Service Center Representative at:

Email: FOIA-NAO@usace.army.mil
Phone: 757-201-7159

For additional assistance in submitting a request, see the Department of the Army’s A Citizen's Guide to Request Army Records under the Freedom of Information Act.

Requests should be submitted to the FOIA Office for the Corps of Engineers division, district, center or laboratory that you believe has the documents you are seeking. See the attached FOIA Office list.  Each of these FOIA Offices process requests for their own records. Directing your request to the local office that has the documents you want, will speed up our response to your request.

Requests must be in writing, and should include the notation "Freedom of Information Act Request" on the front of the envelope and also at the beginning of the letter. No special form is required for a FOIA request. Electronic requests are permitted unless a signature is required, such as a request for records subject to the Privacy Act. Electronic requests should include the notation "Freedom of Information Act Request" in the subject.

Requests must state a willingness to pay the applicable fees and must describe the documents requested in sufficient detail to allow the FOIA Office to locate them with a reasonable amount of effort. In making a request you should be as specific as possible with regard to names, titles, dates, places, events, subjects, recipients, type of document, the offices likely to maintain the documents, etc.

A FOIA request can be made for any agency document. This does not mean, however, that all documents will be disclosed. There are statutory exemptions that authorize the withholding of information of a sensitive nature. Additionally, you should be aware that the FOIA does not require FOIA Offices to do research for you, to analyze data, to answer written questions, or to create records in order to respond to a request.

When a FOIA Office receives your FOIA request, it will ordinarily send you a letter acknowledging the request. If you do not provide the necessary information, the Office will advise you of what additional information is required before further processing your request.

In order to protect your privacy as well as the privacy of others, whenever you request information about yourself you will be asked to provide either a notarized statement or a statement signed under penalty of perjury stating that you are the person that you say you are

Finding the Right Office

To find the Corps of Engineers Office in your area, visit the where we are page. To determine the work done by each Corps of Engineers Office or to find a specific project, visit the Offices’ home pages.

After reviewing these links, if you are still unsure of which Corps of Engineers Office has the documents you are seeking, you may send your request to: U.S. Army Humphreys Engineer Support Center, Attention: CEHEC-OC, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, Virginia, 22315-3860. Personnel in that FOIA Office will forward your request to the Corps of Engineers Office(s) most likely to maintain the documents you are seeking.

If you are seeking documents from an Army office other than the Corps of Engineers please submit your request to the Department of the Army Freedom of Information and Privacy Office, 7701 Telegraph Road, Suite 144, Alexandria, VA 22315-3905. Requests can also be sent electronically by E-mail; foia@rmda.belvoir.army.mil, or Facsimile (703) 428-6522.

Response Time

Under the FOIA statute, Corps of Engineer FOIA Offices are to respond to a FOIA request within twenty business days. This time period does not begin until the request is actually received by the FOIA Office that maintains the documents sought.

Some FOIA Offices receive hundreds of requests each year. Many of these requests require a detailed review of hundreds or even thousands of pages of documents. Although the Corps of Engineers makes every effort to respond to FOIA requests as quickly as possible, in some cases it simply cannot do so within the specified time period. This may be due either to the size of the request, the location of the documents or to the fact that the Office has a backlog of previously received requests that are awaiting processing.

Questions about Existing Requests

FOIA requesters who have questions about, or want to check the status of, their FOIA request, should contact the local FOIA Requester Service Center.  The Corps of Engineers has established a Service Center for each major Office.  Directing your questions to the Service Center at the FOIA Office to which the request was submitted, will speed up the Corps of Engineers’ response to your questions.

FOIA Liaison

If you are not satisfied with the Local FOIA Requester Service Center response about your FOIA request, you may contact the FOIA Liaison.

Department of Defense Chief FOIA Officer (Designated Under E.O. 13,392)

Michael Donley
Director, Administration and Management

Appeals

You may file an appeal if you are not satisfied with a FOIA Office's initial response. You should be advised of your right to file an appeal in the initial denial/determination letter sent by the FOIA Office. Ordinarily, your appeal must be received within 60 days of the date of the component's determination letter. All appeals must be made in writing and addressed to the local FOIA Office. That Office will prepare an appeal package to send through the FOIA Program Office to the Army General Counsel. Both the front of the envelope and the appeal letter should contain the notation "Freedom of Information Act Appeal." There is no specific form or particular language needed to file an appeal.

You may explain the reason or reasons why you disagree with the component's action, but a simple statement that you are appealing the decision is normally sufficient. If, however, you are appealing because you believe there are additional records that have not been located in response to your request, you should specify why you think such records exist and, if possible, where you believe they might be located.

References

FOIA Statute

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - link to the full text of the Act at the Department of Justice Web site.

FOIA Regulations - The Corps of Engineers is subject to DoD and Army FOIA Regulations:

• Department of Defense Freedom of Information Act Regulations, DoD 5400.7-R (Sep 1998); 32 CFR Part 286 - link to the Department of Defense's FOIA web site.
• Department of the Army Freedom of Information Act Regulations, AR25-55 (1 Nov 1997); 32 CFR Part 518 - link to the Department of Army's FOIA web site.

Helpful FOIA Links

• Department of the Army FOIA Web Site
• Department of Defense FOIA Web Site
• Department of Justice/FOIA Web Site
• A Citizen's Guide to FOIA - House Committee on Government Reform guide to both the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Privacy Act Information

• The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended
• Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974

Other Useful Resources:

• USACE Annual FOIA Report
• Army Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room
• Federal Register
• Code of Federal Regulations
• Public and Private Laws