Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Accessing Records

The FOIA provides you the right to request access to Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) records. The Department of the Interior regulations are located at 43 CFR Part 2. It is the policy of the BSEE to make its records available to the public to the greatest extent possible in keeping with the spirit of the FOIA. The BSEE makes many of its records publicly available and a FOIA request may not be necessary. Take a minute to search the BSEE home page to see if the information you want is already available. You may want to go to the Reading Room to see if a document is already there. You can also use the Search feature which is found at the bottom of the Reading Room page. If you have any questions about the need for a FOIA request, call one of the FOIA contacts listed below.

How Do I Make a FOIA Request? 

• Send a written or email request and cite your request is under the FOIA.
• Reasonably describe the records you are requesting.
• State the category of your request for fee purposes; i.e. Commercial, Media, Educational, or All Others. See Categories of Requesters listed below.
• Authorize fees up to the maximum amount you are willing to pay.
• If requesting a fee waiver, indicate how you qualify (see 43 CFR 2.19). 
• Specify the format in which you want your response (hard copy, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.).
• Provide an address and telephone number where we can reach you should we need additional information.

Where Do I Send My Request? 

If you know where the records you want are located, you may send your FOIA request directly to that organization. If you do not know where the records you want are located, send your request to the FOIA Officer. The BSEE FOIA contacts are:

Headquarters Offices 

Categories of Requesters 

Commercial Use. 

If you are in this category, you are charged for document search, review, and duplication.

Educational and Noncommercial Scientific Institution. 

If you are in this category, you are charged for the cost of duplication alone. Requesters receive the first 100 pages of paper copies free. There is no charge for search or review.

News Media. 

If you are in this category, you are charged for the cost of duplication alone. Requesters receive the first 100 pages of paper copies free. There is no charge for search or review.

All Others. 

If you are in this category, you are charged for search and duplication, except that the first 2 hours of search time and the first 100 pages of paper copies are free. There is no charge for review.

DOI Search and Review Fees 

Fees will not be charged if the total amount to process your request is $30.00 or less.

For more detailed information on fees see 43 CFR 2.15. 

FOIA Exemptions 

Some documents are protected by the following exemptions:

• Exemption 1 - Matters of National Defense or Foreign Policy
• Exemption 2 - Internal Personnel Rules and Practices
• Exemption 3 - Information Exempted by Other Statutes
• Exemption 4 - Trade Secrets, Commercial or Financial Information (Confidential Business Information)
• Exemption 5 - Privileged Interagency or Intra-agency Memoranda or Letters
• Exemption 6 - Personal Information Affecting an Individual's Privacy
• Exemption 7 - Records Compiled for Law Enforcement Purposes
• Exemption 8 - Records of Financial Institutions
• Exemption 9 - Geological and Geophysical Information Concerning Wells