MO COVID-19 wastewater surveillance
It is a clone of this request.
| Submitted | May 6, 2022 |
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Communications
From: Betsy Ladyzhets
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the The Missouri Sunshine Law, I hereby request the following records:
1) Any applications and/or related documents submitted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) for funding to conduct COVID-19 surveillance in Missouri wastewater/sewersheds.
2) For all sewersheds/wastewater treatment plants that are conducting COVID-19 surveillance in the state, all documentation that describes the endpoint of that information, e.g. a database, and all documentation about the layout of the database’s tables and fields, and that provides the definitions of any field names, codes, and abbreviations used in the database.
The Documenting COVID-19 project, housed at MuckRock, is a nonprofit organization working on behalf of news organizations, academics and other public bodies to provide clear, timely information for public dissemination. We have recently published our findings in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other publications.
This information is in the public interest as COVID-19 remains a threat to public health. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than the required amount of time, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.
If you have any questions about this request, you can reach me at 860-805-4995.
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 3 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Betsy Ladyzhets
From: Department of Health and Senior Services
Dear Betsy,
On May 6, 2022, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received your request for records regarding Wastewater Surveillance in relation to COVID -19. I am responding within three business days as required by §610.023.3, RSMo.
We are actively working to fulfill your request. Records shall be extensively reviewed to protect closed or confidential information under Missouri Law. §610.021, RSMo.
At this time, the Department is working on a significant number of Sunshine Law Requests and as a result, we will need additional time to provide you with an estimated cost and number of responsive records. Due to the extensive process of search, review and obtainment of records, we estimate that your request will be fulfilled by June 10, 2022.
Before providing responsive records, the Department must:
1. Process and review the Sunshine Law request;
2. Notify relevant staff members of the request to obtain physical, electronic or other potentially responsive records that are not immediately accessible to the staff reviewers(s), if applicable.
3. Staff reviewer will then review the records to determine if they are responsive to the request;
4. Staff reviewer converts all responsive records in an accessible and useable format; and
5. Compile or print the responsive documents.
Please note that the above process is dependent upon the availability of other Department staff members to locate records, the volume of the request, other active Department Sunshine Law Requests, and the on-going work of staff reviewers.
§610.026, RSMo allows for collection of fees, including search, research, and staff time for retrieving, identifying, providing the requested records. Please note, that an invoice will be sent to you for any charges incurred in the fulfillment of your request prior to release of responsive records. The department charges $25.79 per hour for clerical time and ten cents per page for paper copies not larger than nine inches by fourteen inches.
Sincerely,
Christy A. Higgins
Sunshine Law Coordinator/Custodian of Records
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, Mo 65102
573-751-6955
Sunshine Law Requests can be submitted @ https://health.mo.gov/about/sunshine-requests.php
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
This email is from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. It contains confidential or privileged information that may be protected from disclosure by law. Unauthorized disclosure, review, copying, distribution, or use of this message or its contents by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately destroy this message and notify the sender at the following email address: christy.higgins@health.mo.gov<mailto:christy.higgins@health.mo.gov> or by calling 573-751-6955.
From: Betsy Ladyzhets
Hi Christy,
Thank you for the update on my request! Please let me know if you have any questions or require any additional information from me. As I noted in the request, I can be reached through this email or at 860-805-4995.
Best,
Betsy
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following The Missouri Sunshine Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on May 6, 2022. 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: Department of Health and Senior Services
Good morning Betsy,
We are currently working to obtain ALL information you have requested in your initial request, that is substantial documentation. Parts of your request have been collected and are being reviewed by our legal counsel prior to release to you, but other parts are still being collected. I anticipate that we are still on track for the June 10th date that I cited in my 3-day response to you and I will be in contact prior to that date if we expect to need more time.
Sincerely,
Christy A. Higgins
Sunshine Law Coordinator/Custodian of Records
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, Mo 65102
573-751-6955
Sunshine Law Requests can be submitted @ https://health.mo.gov/about/sunshine-requests.php
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
This email is from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. It contains confidential or privileged information that may be protected from disclosure by law. Unauthorized disclosure, review, copying, distribution, or use of this message or its contents by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately destroy this message and notify the sender at the following email address: christy.higgins@health.mo.gov<mailto:christy.higgins@health.mo.gov> or by calling 573-751-6955.
From: Betsy Ladyzhets
Hi Christy,
Got it, thank you so much for the update! I'll expect to hear from you by June 10.
Best,
Betsy
From: Department of Health and Senior Services
Good afternoon,
Please use this link https://stateofmissouri.box.com/s/lzcrneo3wh0ky62hdsdn9me9aa6i1jny to access all records responsive to your request.
Best,
Christy A. Higgins
Sunshine Law Coordinator/Custodian of Records
Office of General Counsel
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, Mo 65102
573-751-6955
Sunshine Law Requests can be submitted @ https://health.mo.gov/about/sunshine-requests.php
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
This email is from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. It contains confidential or privileged information that may be protected from disclosure by law. Unauthorized disclosure, review, copying, distribution, or use of this message or its contents by anyone other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately destroy this message and notify the sender at the following email address: christy.higgins@health.mo.gov<mailto:christy.higgins@health.mo.gov> or by calling 573-751-6955.
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Wastewater_Surveillance_SSR
From: Betsy Ladyzhets
Hi Christy,
Thank you for your help with this request! I really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Betsy Ladyzhets