U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA)
Home Page
| The NOAA FOIA Staff
welcomes you to the NOAA FOIA Home Page. We hope you will find this site
informative and that it will give you a better understanding of NOAA's
public information programs. We will continue to improve this site
to bring you current program information. |
NOAA FOIA Staff
Marie Marks, Team Leader, NOAA FOIA
Staff
(E-mail address -
Marie.H.Marks@noaa.gov)
Telephone number: (301) 713-3540, extension 211
Jean Carter-Johnson, NOAA FOIA Officer
(E-mail address -
Jean.Carter.Johnson@noaa.gov)
Telephone number: (301) 713-3540 , extension 209
Table of Contents
Background/Overview
| The original Freedom of Information Act (5 USC 552) allowed the
public to obtain government information, as long as the information is not protected by one of the nine specific
FOIA exemptions, in the public domain, or on an established NOAA price
list/available for sale. The FOIA allowed 10 business days, excluding weekends and holidays, to respond to the public.
The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 amended the law to
include the following changes: |
- extend from 10 to 20 business days (excluding holidays) the time agencies must respond to requests for information;
- require agencies to make reasonable efforts to make records available in formats desired by requesters;
- require agencies to submit the NOAA Annual
Report by fiscal year;
- require agencies to make the reports available to the public by computer telecommunications or other electronic
means;
- require agencies to list their major information systems,
record locator systems, and a reference guide or guide for obtaining
information; and
- require agencies to establish electronic
reading rooms that include agency policies, staff manuals, opinions made in the adjudication of cases, and an index of records released
by FOIA that are likely to become the subject of subsequent FOIA requests.
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Guide for Submitting FOIA Requests
|
Before submitting FOIA requests, individuals should ensure that the information they seek is not already in the public domain. Offices
maintaining information in the public domain are listed in NOAA's Electronic
Reading Room. If the information is not in the public domain, please follow the suggestions listed below: |
- identify the records requested (be as specific as possible, i.e., describe the subject matter of the records, and, if known, indicate
the dates of the records, the places where they originated, and the names of the originating persons or offices);
- state that the records are requested under the Freedom of Information Act;
- include daytime telephone numbers in case additional information is needed before answering requests; and
- forward all requests to the NOAA FOIA Office as listed below:
- Mail.Mark the outside of the envelope, "Freedom of Information Request" and mail to the following address:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Public Reference Facility (OFA56)
1315 East West Highway (SSMC3)
Room 10730
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Fax. Fax all requests to the FOIA Staff at (301) 713-1169
- E-mail You may email your FOIA request to the following email address:
FOIA@noaa.gov
Individuals with questions concerning their requests may call the FOIA Staff at (301) 713-3540.
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Guide for Submitting FOIA Appeals
You have the right to appeal this [denial or partial denial] of the FOIA request. Your appeal must be received within 30 calendar
days of the date of initial denial letter by the Assistant General Counsel for Administration. Address your appeal to the following office:
Assistant General Counsel for Administration
(Office)
Room 5898-C
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230.
Your appeal may also be sent by e-mail to FOIAAppeals@doc.gov
or by facsimile (fax) to Area Code (202) 482-2552.
The appeal must include:
- a copy of the original request;
- the response to your request; and
- a statement of the reason why the withheld records should be made available and why the
denial of the records was in error.
The submission (including e-mail and fax submissions) is not complete without the required
attachments.
The appeal letter, the envelope, the e-mail subject line, and the fax cover sheet should be clearly marked "Freedom
of Information Act Appeal."
The e-mail, fax machine, and Office of the General Counsel are monitored only on working days during the normal business hours (8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday). FOIA appeals posted to the e-mail box, fax machine, or Office of the General Counsel after
normal business hours will be deemed received on the next normal business day.
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Location of Electronic Reading Room
NOAA's Electronic Reading Room and NOAA Public Reference Facility is the central reference and records inspection facility for
NOAA. It is located at 1315 East West Highway (SSMC3), Room 10730, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. The facility is open to the public Monday through
Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Federal holidays. Equipment for making copies is available for public use and the room is disabled
accessible.
Requesters shall contact the NOAA FOIA Staff, (301) 713-3540, to schedule visits or to verify that specific documents are maintained
in the reading room. All reading room records created by NOAA on or after November 1, 1996, will be made available electronically at the
site. The public is encouraged to access information electronically. They may also submit requests to NOAA under the Freedom of Information Act.
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Description of Publicly Available Information
The NOAA's Office of Public and Constitutent Affairs is NOAA's focal
point for information in the public domain. The office maintains a broad range of NOAA publications, press releases, reports, and other pertinent
information. The office address, contact person, and an index of frequently requested publications can be accessed from this link.
NOAA's mission statement, strategic plan, organizational structure, Line and Program Offices, and a wealth of scientific and
administrative information can be accessed from the NOAA HomePage,
NOAA Staff Directory.
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Other Public Information Servers
- Government Interactive Locator System (GILS) and the
DOC GILS These systems locate and provide assistance in obtaining Federal public information,
including DOC/NOAA-specific information.
- National Technical Information Services (NTIS) The NTIS is the official resource for government
sponsored U.S. worldwide scientific, technical, engineering, and business information.
- NOAA Library The NOAA Library maintains publications on microfiche,
microfilm, compact discs, and databases that support research in the atmospheric sciences, fisheries, marine biology, meteorology, oceanography, and
related disciplines.
- NOAAServer: Access to Distributed NOAA Data and Information
This server provides universal public access to environmental information databases. The system was created to satisfy NOAA's mission
objective of providing universal public access to its information services.
- U.S. Superintendent of Documents
All documents at the U.S. Superintendent of Documents are shelved by government organization and not by subject
matter. The documents include information about U.S. Government laws, regulations, statistics, maps, and bibliographies.
Records that are "promptly published and offered for sale" are not subject to the requirements of FOIA, 5
U.S.C. 552(a) (2). These published materials are not required to be placed in agency conventional/electronic reading rooms.
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Major Information Systems
NOAA Corporate Finance and Administrative Services Home Page provides access to administrative information system within
NOAA.
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Policies and Administrative Manuals that Affect the Public
FOIA POLICIES
Department of Justice
OTHER TITLES
|
FINAL OPINIONS IN THE ADJUDICATION OF CASES
The Office of the Inspector General, Department of Commerce, has the responsibility for final opinions.
(OIG Final Opinions) |
