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Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA)
FOIA is a
Federal law that establishes the public's right to request existing records from
Federal Government agencies. Requests are only for agency "records."
The agency is not required to create documents in response to a request.
FOIA, which is known by its legal cite as 5 U.S.C. ยง 552, along with the
Department of Defense and Army Regulations, govern how requests will be
processed within the Army. The Army Regulation (AR) 25-55, The Department
of the Army FOIA Program, can be found at Part 518 of Chapter 32 of the Code of
Federal Regulations, which is available in most libraries. AR 25-55 may
also be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285
Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, for $21.50, and may be found in
the Army’s Electronic Reading Room at http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r25_55.pdf
The purpose of this information is to provide guidance on how to make a Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) request for Department of the Army records. It will provide you with a brief description of your rights and the manner in which Army will respond to your requests. The information contained herein is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. How do I request documents under the FOIA?
A1. You can request documents under the FOIA by fax, letter, or electronic mail. No special form is required; however, the request should be labeled as a "Freedom of Information Act Request," and must include the following information:
1. Name and Business name (if applicable);
2. Address;
3. Telephone number;
4. Fax number (if applicable);
5. A reasonable description of the records requested, including date parameters, if applicable;
6. Whether you want to view the documents or have them copied and sent to you;
7. State a willingness to pay any search and review fees; and
8. If you are requesting a fee waiver, you must state your basis for the waiver.
Q2. Where should I send a FOIA request?
A2. FAX REQUESTS: To fax a FOIA request, include a fax coversheet stating, "Attention:FOIA Coordinator." The fax
number is (504) 862-2827.
ELECTRONIC MAIL: To send a FOIA request by
electronic mail, address the request to: MVN-OC-FOIA@usace.army.mil
REGULAR MAIL: To mail a FOIA request, send the request to the following address:
US Army Corps of Engineers
New Orleans District Office of Counsel (CEMVN-OC)
ATTN: FOIA Coordinator
PO Box 60267
New Orleans, Louisiana 70160-0267
Q3. Who can file a FOIA request?
A3. Any person can file a FOIA request, including U.S. citizens and
foreign nationals, Organizations, universities, businesses, and state and local
governments may also file FOIA requests.
Q4. Who is subject to the FOIA and what type of information can be requested?
A4. FOIA’s scope includes Federal Executive Branch Departments, agencies,
and offices, Federal regulatory agencies, and Federal corporations.
Congress, the Federal Courts, and parts of the Executive Office of the President
are not subject to the FOIA. State and local governments are likewise not
subject to the Federal FOIA, but some states have their own equivalent access
laws for state records.
Q5. What is an agency record?
A5. Agency records are
those that are created or obtained by an agency and under the agency control at
the time the FOIA request is made. Agency records include hard-copy files, computerized records, databases, e-mail maps,
books, and photographs.
Q6. Can I ask questions under the FOIA?
A6. FOIA does not require Federal Agencies to answer questions, render
opinions, or provide subjective evaluations. Requesters must ask for
existing records, such as those mentioned above. However, if there exists
records which would respond to questions, those records would be provided.
Q7. Must I use FOIA to obtain all agency records?
A7. No.There is no requirement for individuals to use FOIA to obtain routine public information, such as copies
of contracts, daily stages of waterways, and issued permits.
Such requests may be processed by the custodian offices without
involvement of the FOIA Coordinator. Additionally,
the New Orleans District's internet website at http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/index.asp provides access to a wide variety of public information regarding our projects,
contracts, regulatory program.
Q8. What are reasons for not releasing a record?
A8. There are seven reasons why the Army may not release a record requested
under FOIA. They are:
1. The request is transferred to another Army Component or Federal agency;
2. The Army Component determines through knowledge of its files and reasonable search
efforts that it neither controls nor otherwise possesses the requested record;
3. A record has not been described with sufficient detail to enable the Army Component to locate
it by conducting a reasonable search;
4. The requester has failed unreasonably to comply with procedural requirements, including
payment of fees, imposed by the FOIA and AR 25-55;
5. The request is withdrawn by the requester;
6. The information requested is not a record within the meaning of the FOIA and the AR 25-55; or
7. The record is denied in whole or part in accordance with procedures set forth in the FOIA and
AR 25-55. (See FOIA exemptions, below)
Q9. What are FOIA exemptions?
A9. There are nine FOIA exemptions, described in 5 U.S.C. 552(b) (1)-(9).
1. (b) (1) --
records currently and properly classified in the interest of national security;
2. (b) (2) --
records related solely to internal personnel rules and practices, which, if
released, would allow circumvention of an agency function;
3. (b) (3) --
records protected by another law that specifically exempts the information from
public release;
4. (b) (4) --
trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a private
source which would cause substantial competitive harm to the source if
disclosed;
5. (b) (5) --
internal records that are deliberative in nature and are part of the decision
making process that contain opinions and recommendations;
6. (b) (6) --
records which, if released, would result in a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy;
7. (b) (7) --
investigatory records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes;
8. (b) (8) --
records for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision
of financial institutions; and
9. (b) (9) --
records containing geological and geophysical information (including maps)
concerning wells.
Q10. What is a denial?
A10. When information is withheld, whether partially or fully, this
constitutes a denial under FOIA. A request may be denied for one or more
of the aforementioned exemptions. When this happens, you will be notified
in writing by an Initial Denial Authority (IDA) and given appeal rights.
IDAs are denial authorities for records that fall under their custodial control.
If your request is denied partially, you will receive information that
has portions deleted. Redacted records have the denied information removed
from where it was originally located within the document. The appropriate
exemption(s) for deletion of the information should be listed next to the
sanitized area(s) on the document. There are usually two methods for
sanitizing a document; one is to blacken out the denied information, and the
other is to completely remove it.
Q11. Can I appeal a denial?
A11. Yes. If your FOIA request is initially denied in whole or in part
under one or more of the above exemptions, or denied for some other reason, you
will be advised of your appeal rights and the proper procedures for submitting
the appeal within 60 days. If you are not satisfied with the appeal
determination, you may seek judicial review.
Q12. How long will it take for my request to be processed?
A12. Whenever possible, an initial determination to release or deny a record
will be made within 10 working days after receipt of the request by the official
who is designated to respond. Because of the significant number of requests
received, in fairness to all requesters, the New Orleans District processes
requests in the order of their receipt and according to their complexity.
If unusual circumstances exist that preclude a timely response, you will be
informed of the estimated completion date and reason(s) for delay. Unusual
circumstances are:
1. Need to search
for and collect the requested records from other facilities that are separate
from the office determined responsible for a release or denial decision on the
requested information;
2. The need to search for, collect, and examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct
records which are requested in a single request; or
3. The need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with other
agencies having a substantial interest in the determination of the request, or
among two or more DOD Components having a substantial subject-matter interest in
the request.
Q13. How do I qualify for expedited processing of my request?
A13. To receive expedited processing, the requester must demonstrate one of
the following compelling needs:
1. Failure to obtain the records on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose
an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual;
2. Information is urgently needed by an individual primarily engaged in disseminating information in order to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity; or
3. Other reasons that merit expedited processing are an imminent loss of substantial due process
rights and humanitarian need.
Q14. Do I have to pay for a FOIA request?
A14. FOIA allows fees to be charged for FOIA services, such as search and review time, duplication costs, and special services, like documentcertification. Whether fees are charged depends on the category of requester you are. If fees are to be charged, waivers or reductions in fees may be given under certain circumstances. In any case, no fees are charged to any requester if the amount to be charged does not exceed $15.
Q15. What are the categories of requesters and how are their fees determined?
A15. There are five categories of requesters:
Commercial. Requesters who seek information for a use or
purpose that furthers their commercial, trade, or profit interest are considered
commercial requesters. Commercial requesters pay all fees for
search, review, and duplication.
Educational. Institutions of education, including
preschools, elementary or secondary schools and institutions of higher learning,
qualify as educational institutions. The records must be sought in
furtherance of scholarly research. Educational requesters pay only
duplication fees, unless it is
determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. The first 100 pages are provided at no
cost.
Non-Commercial Scientific. A non-commercial scientific institution is operated
solely for conducting scientific research. The records must be sought in
furtherance of scientific research. Like educational
requesters, these requesters pay only duplication fees, unless it is
determined that fees are waived or reduced in the public interest. The first
100 pages are provided at no cost.
News Media. A representative of the news media is a person
actively gathering news for an entity organized
and operated to publicize or broadcast news to the public. News media pay only duplication fees, unless it is determined that fees are
waived or reduced in the public interest. The first 100 pages are provided
at no cost.
"Other" Requester. Requesters who do not qualify
in another category are considered "other"
requesters, and normally make requests for agency records for their
personal use. "Other" requesters
receive two hours search time, all review costs, and the first 100 pages
at no cost.
Q16. When and how can fee waivers be granted?
A16.Fee waivers may be granted when disclosure of the records is in the public interest. Information
released in the public interest is defined as information that significantly enhances the public's knowledge of the operations and activities of the agency. The following factors are weighed in making a fee waiver determination:
The subject of the request;
The informative value of the information to be disclosed;
The contribution to an understanding of the subject by the general public likely to
result from the disclosure;
The significance of the contribution to public understanding;
Disclosure of the information is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester; and
The ability of the requester to disseminate the information.
Q17. What is a"willingness to pay statement"?
A17. All requesters must include a "willingness to pay statement" in their request, regardless of the fee category, however, this does not mean you will be charged fees. The requester can set a limit on the costs to be incurred. For example, he/she may state "not to exceed $50." If the estimate for answering the request exceeds the limit, the FOIA Officer will call
the requester to discuss his/her options. The requester has four options: accept the copied documents up to the previous specified amount of money; cancel the entire request; authorize the money needed to complete the request; or authorize additional funds up to another specified amount. Except for commercial requesters whose fees total more than $15, waivers are always considered.
A Citizen's Guide to Request Army Records Under the FOIA,
May 1, 1998
We trust this information will be helpful to you when pursuing FOIA requests
with the New Orleans District. If you have any questions, you may call
(504) 862-2824 and ask for the FOIA Coordinator.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Point of Contact
MVN FOIA Coordinator
(504) 862-2824
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