Leak referrals and consultations (Department of Agriculture)

Good evening, Ms. Best.

This e-mail acknowledges receipt of the May 28, 2019, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request you submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Departmental FOIA Office (DFO). Your request was received for processing today, May 28th.

The DFO is under the purview of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and serves as the focal point for USDA's FOIA program. The DFO provides coordination and ensures agency-wide compliance with the FOIA. Additionally, the DFO processes requests and appeals on behalf of the Office of the Secretary and Departmental Administration's ("DA") components (previously referred to as Departmental Management). For a complete listing of DA's components, please visit http://www.dm.usda.gov/agencies.htm.

The FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(i), requires USDA to make a determination in response to a FOIA request within 20 business days from its date of receipt. In unusual circumstances, the Federal agency time limit may be extended by 10 business days as stated in 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B). If your request seeks numerous documents that will necessitate a wide-ranging search, including searches with components and possible consultations with components that have a substantial interest in the determination of this request, USDA will invoke a 10 business day extension for determination of your request. You have the option to narrow the scope of your request to limit the number of potentially responsive documents.

Provisions of the FOIA allow USDA to recover part of the cost of complying with your requests. For purposes of fee assessment, you have been categorized as a media requester, pursuant to 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 1 Section (5)(c). In accordance with 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 1 Section 6(a)(4), FOIA fees are waived where the amount of the fee is $25.00 or less.

You have requested a fee waiver. Your classification as a media requester renders your fee waiver request moot since the only fees that would apply to you are duplication costs beyond the first 100 pages. Since the agency's response to your requests will be delivered electronically, duplication costs are not anticipated.

A search will be initiated by the DFO for records responsive to your request. If any responsive records are located, they will be reviewed for determination of releasability. Please be assured that a FOIA Analyst in this office will respond to your request as expeditiously as possible. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with your request.

Your request has been assigned FOIA Case No. 2019-DA-04210-F. Please refer to this case number in any future correspondence. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Ms. Christine Jordan at (202) 772-9091 or electronically at Christine.Jordan@ocio.usda.gov<mailto:Christine.Jordan@ocio.usda.gov> or USDAFOIA@ocio.usda.gov<mailto:USDAFOIA@ocio.usda.gov>. For additional information regarding USDA FOIA regulations and processes, please refer to the information available on-line at www.dm.usda.gov/foia<http://www.dm.usda.gov/foia>.

The DFO Team appreciates the opportunity to assist you in this matter.

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Good morning, Ms. Best.

This e-mail constitutes the agency's formal notification that after a careful review of your FOIA request, 2019-DA-04210-F, the Departmental FOIA Office has routed your request to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for processing because that is the office most likely to have records that are responsive to your request. Please refer to the information below in the event you would like to contact the OIG regarding your FOIA request -

Office of the Inspector General
Alison Decker, FOIA Officer
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Whitten Building Room 441-E
Mail Stop 2308
Washington, DC 20250
FOIA.STAFF@oig.usda.gov<mailto:FOIA.STAFF@oig.usda.gov>
Tel. 202-720-5677
Fax 202-690-6305
Best,
Christine Jordan

A no responsive documents response.

A no responsive documents response.