Hazards Signage (U.S. Navy)

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=DON-NAVY-2021-003401&type=request)

* Tracking Number: DON-NAVY-2021-003401
* Requester Name: Cody Harris
* Date Submitted: 02/08/2021
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Documentation, drawings, specifications and/or, photographs of signage used to indicate dangerous chemical, radioactive, and biological hazards before 1970 (when standard symbols began to proliferate).

Some examples of these types of interesting symbols are (but are not limited to):

A rectangular hot pink label with radiating yellow bands described in literature to have been used to indicate an infectious organism hazard before the contemporary biohazards symbol was adopted. This symbol was reportedly used in US Navy laboratories.

Similarly, the US Army reportedly used an inverted blue triangle bearing the term "BIO" previous to adopting the universal biohazard symbol. A yellow inverted triangle marked "GAS", a white inverted triangle marked "ATOM", and a red inverted triangle with a horizontal yellow stripe marked "GAS MINES" may have also been used by the US Army.

The National Institutes of Health reportedly used a red and black sign to mark areas restricted due to biohazards.

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,

Cody Harris

Dear Mr. Harris:

Your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted to the NAVY FOIA
Office was referred by that office to the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) via the *FOIAOnline* website. We received your
request on February 24, 2021. Your request concerns early hazardous
material symbols used by the Navy, the Army and the National Institute of
Health.

Our office uses the *FOIAonline* portal for FOIA and Privacy Act requests
for the National Archives and Records Administration's *operational *records
(records created by this agency). Because your *FOIAOnline *request is for
records that may be textual *archival *records (records created by or
originated in a different agency but that may have been transferred to the
legal custody of NARA), we are forwarding it to two components in our *Office
of Research Services. **Textual Reference (RR2R) *staff will search for any
textual records, and *Cartographics *will search for any diagrams and
drawings that they may hold.

Since *Research Services* does not process FOIA requests through
*FOIAOnline*, we removed your request from the *FOIAOnline* website. Each
component will assign you a new tracking number, and respond directly to
you. In the future, if you need to follow up with these offices, please
contact them at the addresses below, or electronically via email (email is
preferred).

National Archives and Records Administration
Research Services, Textual Reference Branch (RR2R)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2400
College Park, MD 20740

By phone: 301-837-3091
By fax: 301-837-1752
By email: archives2refeence@nara.gov <archives2reference@nara.gov>

The National Archives and Records Administration
Cartographic branch, Room 3324
College Park, MD 20740
By phone: 301-837-2036
By email: carto@nara.gov <carto@nara.gov>

For your reference, a copy of your request is below.

Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about submitting a FOIA request to NARA. On our main website,
www.archives.gov, you can learn more about the resources we offer to the
public, and you can access our online catalog.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to guidance received from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal
operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work
while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of
our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may
experience a delay in receiving a substantive response to your FOIA
request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.

Sincerely,
Susan Gillett
Government Information Specialist
Office of General Counsel
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD 20740-6001
susan.gillett@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <admin@foiaonline.gov>
Date: Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 5:16 PM
Subject: FOIA Request Deletion: NARA-NGC-2021-000550
To: <susan.gillett@nara.gov>

Below is an export of the submitted request information for the FOIA
request NARA-NGC-2021-000550.

- *Name and Address*
- First Name: Cody
- Middle Initial:
- Last Name: Harris
- Organization:
- Mailing Address Location: United States/U.S. Territories
- Address Line 1: MuckRock News DEPT MR 107842
- Address Line 2: 411A Highland Ave
- City: Somerville
- State/Province: MA
- Zip/Postal Code: 02144
- *Contact Information*
- E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
- Phone Number:
- Fax Number:
- *Agency and Fee Information*
- Assigned Agency: NGC - Office of General Counsel
- Will Pay Up To: $0.00
- *Description*
- To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the
following records:

Documentation, drawings, specifications and/or, photographs of
signage used to indicate dangerous chemical, radioactive, and biological
hazards before 1970 (when standard symbols began to proliferate).

Some examples of these types of interesting symbols are (but are not
limited to):

A rectangular hot pink label with radiating yellow bands described in
literature to have been used to indicate an infectious organism hazard
before the contemporary biohazards symbol was adopted. This symbol was
reportedly used in US Navy laboratories.

Similarly, the US Army reportedly used an inverted blue triangle
bearing the term "BIO" previous to adopting the universal
biohazard symbol.
A yellow inverted triangle marked "GAS", a white inverted triangle marked
"ATOM", and a red inverted triangle with a horizontal yellow
stripe marked
"GAS MINES" may have also been used by the US Army.

The National Institutes of Health reportedly used a red and black
sign to mark areas restricted due to biohazards.

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,

Cody Harris
- *Fee Waiver*
- Fee Waiver Requested: No
- Fee Waiver Reason:
- *Expedited Processing*
- Expedited Processing Requested: No
- Expedited Processing Reason:

Cody Harris
MuckRock News DEPT MR 107842
411A Highland Ave
Somerville MA, 02144

Dear Cody Harris,

I am writing in further response to your Freedom of Information Act request
of February 25, 2021 for records in the custody of the National Archives
and Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on
February 26, 2021 and was assigned tracking number RRSC-21-546.

After searching in the Cartographic Branch's holdings, we were unable to
locate drawings or specifications of signage used to indicate dangerous
chemical, radioactive, and biological hazards before 1970. As these signs
were used by the US Navy and US Army, you may want to check with their
archives at Naval History and Heritage Command
<https://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives.html> and U.S. Army Center
of Military History <https://history.army.mil/>.

This completes the processing of your request. If you have any questions,
you may reach me at 301-837-3071 or corbin.apkin@nara.gov.

If you are not satisfied with my action on this request, you have the right
to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days from the
date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be delivered by
regular U.S. mail or by e-mail. By filing an appeal, you preserve your
rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the deciding agency
with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider its decision. If
you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be addressed to the
Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College Park, Maryland
20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly marked “FOIA
Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by e-mail, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. If you exercise your right to appeal, please
explain why you believe this response does not meet the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act. All communications concerning this request
should reference FOIA tracking number RRSC-20-051.

If you would like the opportunity to discuss my response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:

Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area

FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190

FOIA Public Liaison: Michael Marquis

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Telephone: 301-837-3190

E-mail: dc.foia.liaison@nara.gov

If you are unable to resolve your dispute through our Public Liaison, the
Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is the federal FOIA
ombudsman. OGIS offers mediation services to help resolve disputes between
FOIA requesters and federal agencies. You may contact OGIS at the following
address:

Office of Government Information Services (OGIS)

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2510

College Park, MD 20740-6001

ogis@nara.gov

202-741-5770

1-877-684-6448

Corbin Apkin
Archivist, Aerial Photography SME
National Archives at College Park
Cartographic Branch
corbin.apkin@nara.gov
301-837-3071

March 12, 2021

Cody Harris

MuckRock News

DEPT MR 107842

411A Highland Ave

Somerville, MA 02144

Dear Mr. Harris:

This is in response to your Freedom of Information (FOIA) request
(21-20803) of February 8, 2021, concerning signage about hazardous
materials. We received it in this office on March 1, 2021.

Records in the National Archives are arranged into numbered record groups
based on the agency that created them.

There are no separate files relating to the various symbols cited in your
message that I can identify. Any information on these subjects, if it is
there at all, is dispersed among the records and finding it will require
detailed research.

You can do an advanced search in the National Archives Catalog online at
https://catalog.archives.gov/advancedsearch for series that might be of
interest.

See the Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United
States at https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records on our
website for general information about our holdings.

Perhaps the National Library of Medicine can be of assistance to you. See
their website at https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ for contact information.

Perhaps the Reference Referral Service at the Library of Congress can also
be of assistance. See their "Reference Assistance" webpage including the
"Ask a Librarian feature online at https://www.loc.gov/rr/refcorr.html .

We make reasonable efforts to assist researchers with their work. As a
matter of policy, the National Archives is staffed to assist researchers
with their work, including but not limited to pointing researchers to
helpful finding aids to begin their research. However, given the
limitations on staff resources, we do not generally conduct substantive
research in response to requests filed under the Freedom of Information
Act, except in circumstances where documents are easily locatable.

Unfortunately, all NARA Research Rooms were closed effective at the end of
business on March 13, 2020, as a public health precaution due to the
coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Under standard circumstances, we would
welcome you to visit our research room so you or your representative can
examine and select documents relevant to your research. You could also hire
a researcher to conduct research on your behalf. However, visiting is not
an option at this time.

If you are interested in hiring a researcher who works for a fee, see the
list provided as a courtesy at https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help
on our website. An appointment is not mandatory, but it is helpful to know
when someone plans to visit.

We do not consider this response a denial under the Freedom of Information
Act because the records you have requested do not exist. However, if you
are not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal
and dispute resolution are outlined in the attachment.

This concludes the processing of your request.

Sincerely,

TAB LEWIS

Textual Reference Operations

National Archives at College Park, Maryland