U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ANNUAL REPORT

FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001

October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2001

 

            The Department received a total of 20,222 initial requests for records during fiscal year 2001.  The majority of these requests were received by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which received 11,130 requests.  The Employment Standards Administration (ESA) received 5,620 requests.

 

 

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) 693-5500.

 

              B. The electronic address for this report is on the World Wide Web at http://www2.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 quickest possible response if it is addressed directly to the disclosure officer for the component that a requester believes has the records. 

 

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) 693-4016.

 

2.  Office of the Solicitor of Labor, tel. (202) 693-5500.

 

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) 693-4016.

 

              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) 693-5081.

 

8.  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, tel. (202) 693-4664.

 

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) 693-0296.

 

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

 

13.  Mine Safety and Health Administration, 4015 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia  22203, tel. (703) 235-1452.

 

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

 

15.  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) 693-4717.

 


18.  Office of the Associate Deputy Secretary for Adjudication, tel. (202) 693-5032.

 

19.  Employees' Compensation Appeals Board, tel. (202) 693-5032.

 

20.  Administrative Review Board, tel. (202) 693-5032.

 

21.  Benefits Review Board, tel. (202) 693-5032.

 

22.  The Office of Disability  Employment Policy, tel. (202) 376-6200, ext. 12.

 

The heads of the foregoing agencies 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 agency.  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)  844-1704

(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 Apprentice 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 from five to fifty days.  Complex requests 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 information of an appropriately sensitive nature.  The agency also cannot comply with a FOIA request if there are no responsive records.

 

Another reason for not responding to 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 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.  None.

 

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 FOIA=s 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 Aperfected@ FOIA request).

 

13.  APerfected@ 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 2001.

 

1.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration withheld the names of complainants who reported safety and health violations under the authority of Section 8(f)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), 29 U.S.C. 657(f)(1). It also withheld the disclosure    of advance notice of a safety inspection under the authority of section 17(f) of the same statute, 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)).

 

4.  The Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration withheld income

     tax return information pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 6103. 

 

 

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.  Number of initial requests.

 

1.  Number of requests pending at the end of the preceding fiscal year             (FY2000):  906

   

                         2.  Number of requests received during fiscal year 2001:  20,222

 

                         3.  Number of requests processed during fiscal year 2001: 19,840

 

 4.  Number of requests pending at the end of fiscal year 2001: 1,288

 

B.  Disposition of initial requests.

 


1.  Number of total grants: 6,969

 

2.  Number of partial grants: 7,104

 

3.                  Number of denials: 1,319 [1]

 

     a.  number of time each FOIA exemption was used

          (counting each exemption once per request)

 

(1) Exemption 1:  0

 

(2) Exemption 2:  368

 

(3) Exemption 3:  54

 

(4) Exemption 4:  2,454

 

(5) Exemption 5:  3,963

 

(6) Exemption 6:  1,894

 

(7) Exemption 7(A):  1,319

 

(8) Exemption 7(B):  0

 

(9) Exemption 7(C):  4,648

 

(10) Exemption 7(D):  2,935

 

(11) Exemption 7(E):  474

 

(12) Exemption 7(F):  14

 

(13) Exemption 8:  0

 

      (14) Exemption 9:  0

 

 

4.                  Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):  4,448

 

a. no records:  2,475

 


      b. referrals:  975

 

      c. request withdrawn:  262

 

      d. fee-related reason:  82

 

                   e. records not reasonably described: 187

 

       f. not a proper FOIA request for some other

                                   reason:  32

 

       g. not an agency record:  194

 

       h. duplicate request:  141

 

       i. other (specify):  100; miscellaneous reasons

 

 

VI.  Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests

 

A.  Numbers of appeals.

 

1.  Number of appeals received during fiscal year 2001:  285

 

2.  Number of appeals processed during fiscal year 2001:  436

 

B.  Disposition of appeals.

 

1.  Number completely upheld:   85

 

2.  Number partially reversed:  165

 

3.  Number completely reversed:  26 [2]

 

    a.  number of times each FOIA exemption was used

                                 (counting each exemption once per appeal)

 

(1) Exemption 1:  0    

 

(2) Exemption 2:  9

 


(3) Exemption 3:  1

 

(4) Exemption 4:  25

 

(5) Exemption 5:  110

 

(6) Exemption 6:  15

 

(7) Exemption 7(A):  39

 

(8) Exemption 7(B):  0

 

(9) Exemption 7(C):  171

 

(10) Exemption 7(D):  116

 

(11) Exemption 7(E):  10

 

(12) Exemption 7(F):  0

 

(13) Exemption 8:  0

 

(14) Exemption 9:  0

 

 

4.  Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):  160

 

a.  no records:  34

 

b.  referrals:  6

 

c.  appeal withdrawn:  87

 

d.  fee-related reason:  4

 

e.  records not reasonably described:  1

 

f.  not a proper FOIA appeal for some other                                                                                reason:  1

 

g.  not an agency record:  1


 

h.  duplicate request:  0

 

i.  other (specify):  26; miscellaneous reasons

 

 

VII.  Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests

 

A.  Median processing time for requests processed during the year.

 

1.  Simple requests (if multiple tracks used).

 

a.  number of requests processed:  14,104

 

b.  median number of days to process:  13

 

2.  Complex requests (specify for any and all tracks used).

 

a.  number of requests processed:  4,730

 

 b. median number of days to process:  39

 

3.  Requests accorded expedited processing.

 

a.  number of requests processed:  1,006

 

b.  median number of days to process:  6

 

B.  Status of pending requests.

 

1.  Number of requests pending as of end of fiscal year 2001:  1,288

 

 2.  Median number of days that such requests were

                         pending as of the end of fiscal year 2001:  24

 

 

VIII.  Costs/FOIA Staffing

 

  A.  Staffing levels.

 

1.  Number of full-time FOIA personnel:  30

         

                        2.  Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties (in

                        total work-years):  153

 

3.  Total number of personnel (in work-years):  183

 

  B.  Total costs (including staff and all resources).

 

1.  FOIA processing (including appeals):   $4,950,00.

 

2.  Litigation-related activities (estimated):  $500,000.       

 

3.  Total costs:  $5,450,000.

 

4.  Comparison with previous year(s)(including percentage of                        change)(optional):  This year, 4% less in costs for FOIA was expended.

 

 

IX.  Fees

 

A.  Total amount of fees collected by agency for processing

       requests:  $218,861.59

 

B.   Percentage of total costs:  4%.                

 

 

X.  FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule)

 

The electronic address for accessing the Department's FOIA regulations, 29 CFR Part 70, is on the Department=s web site at http://www2.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.htm.   

 

 

_________________________

Eugene Scalia

Solicitor of Labor

 

 

 

 

 



[1] Please refer to question 4,below, in order to reconcile the calculations.

[2] Please refer to question 4,below, in order to reconcile these calculations.