Office of Inspector General Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Homepage

What are the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has a right to obtain access to Federal agency records, except to the extent that such records are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions. The Privacy Act (PA) provides access to one of ten nondisclosure documents except for those protected by the exemptions. The PA protects from disclosure all personal identifiable records in the Government’s possession, with certain exceptions established by statute.

http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/privstat.htm 
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/fed_prog/foia/foia.htm 

Who can file a FOIA or PA request?

Anyone can file a FOIA request. Any citizen or lawfully-admitted alien can file a PA request. Either type of request must be made in writing or submitted in an electronic format. The EPA OIG does not accept requests by phone.
http://www.epa.gov/foia/guide.html

How long does it take to get a response under FOIA?

Once an agency receives a FOIA request, the agency has 20 working days to make a decision on the request.
http://www.epa.gov/foia/broc.htm

How can you file a FOIA and PA request with the EPA?

FOIA and PA requests for EPA OIG records can be sent directly to the EPA OIG FOIA Officer by mailing a request to:

FOIA Officer
EPA OIG
Mail Code 2411T
Washington, DC 20460-0001

Requests can also be submitted directly to the EPA OIG by e-mailing a request to:

oig.foia@epa.gov OR directly from this Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/oig/free_info_act/foiaform.htm

Provide a description of the records you are seeking in a way that will permit the OIG to identify and locate them. If you are seeking records relating to a facility, site, or regulated entity, please include the complete name and address of each property you are inquiring about.

Are There Any Fees Associated with a FOIA Request?

Anything costing the OIG less than $25 to process is free; you must pay for any OIG processing costs in excess of that amount. We will contact you if the estimated costs will exceed your authorized amount. In certain limited circumstances, individual requests are entitled to a fee waiver for the costs of processing a FOIA request. See fee waivers for further details.

Reading Room - Guide to Reference Materials

FOIA requires that agencies have a “reading room” to inspect publicly available documents. The EPA OIG reading room is on our public Web site.
http://www.epa.gov/oig/eroom.htm

OIG’s FOIA Contact Person

Shushona Hyson (202) 566-0869 or oig.foia@epa.gov