EPA Political appointee FOIA records
Submitted | Feb. 21, 2018 |
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Communications
From: Nick Surgey
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
It is the requestors understanding that EPA regions have been instructed to handle FOIA requests that include records involving EPA political appointees, by routing such requests to EPA HQ for processing. I therefore request any guidance or other instructions provided to an EPA region by EPA HQ about the processing of FOIA requests that include political appointees, or any other records which outline this approach. A search may be limited to records created or transmitted between January 20, 2017 and February 21, 2018.
The requester is entitled to a fee waiver because he is a member of the news media, and because this request for records concerns activities or operations of the government. Disclosure of the requested records will likely increase public understanding of government operations since the requester has the ability and the intention, through the means described below, to effectively convey information contained within the requested records to a broad public audience. Requester is an investigative journalist and the director of Documented, an investigative watchdog and reporting group that explores the relationship between industry and government. Nick Surgey is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Media and Democracy and writes for the Intercept.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Nick Surgey
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Feb. 21, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
Mr. Surgey,
Thank you for your email and FOIA request.
In your email, you mentioned your previous request from Feb. 2018 on the same subject matter. We have no record of receiving a similar request here in EPA Region 3. It does appear that you did submit a request to EPA in Feb. 2018, but it was not sent directly to EPA Region 3 and none was processed by EPA Region 3 on this subject. It does appear that other EPA regions and offices did respond to your previous request. If you believe that we are error, please provide a tracking number for your previous Region 3 request.
Unfortunately, you submitted your request using a method that is no longer authorized by EPA's FOIA regulations. Effective July 26, 2019, all EPA FOIA requests must be submitted to EPA's National FOIA Office using one of the following methods:
* EPA's FOIA submission website at https://www.foiaonline.gov
* The government's central website for FOIA at https://www.foia.gov
* U.S. Mail sent to the following address:
National FOIA Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (2310A)
Washington, D.C. 20460
* Overnight delivery service to:
National FOIA Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania NW, Room 5315
Washington, D.C. 20460
If you have any questions, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at (202) 566-1667 or you may contact me at the number listed below.
Mike
Michael M. D'Andrea
Chief, FOIA Branch
U.S. EPA Region 3 - Mid-Atlantic
215-814-5615
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