Surface Transportation Board Rockefeller e-mail

For FOIA purposes, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) is independent of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Following is contact information from www.foia.gov<http://www.foia.gov> for the STB.

FOIA Contact: To make a FOIA request to Surface Transportation Board please send request to:
Marilyn R. Levitt
FOIA/Privacy Act Officer
395 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20423-0001
(202) 245-0269 (Telephone)
(202) 245-0460 (Fax)
FOIA.Privacy@stb.dot.gov<mailto:FOIA.Privacy@stb.dot.gov> (Request via Email)
________________________________
FOIA Requester Service Center: Marilyn R. Levitt, Phone: (202) 245-0269
FOIA Public Liaison: Craig Keats, Phone: (202) 245-0264
Website: http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/foia.html

Dear Mr. Delaware,

On October 17, 2014, we received your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request for certain emails that have an address “@rockefeller.senate.gov.”
However, before we can process your request, you must attend to three
things.

First, regarding your request for a fee waiver, FOIA fee waivers are
limited to situations in which a requester demonstrates that (1) disclosure
of the requested information is likely to contribute significantly to
public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and
is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester, and (2) the
information is likely to be widely disseminated. The Board is not able to
grant your fee waiver request without further information from you to
demonstrate that your request meets that criteria.

Second, you must agree to pay for agency expenses should there be any
beyond those covered by FOIA. A minimum commitment of $25 is required. We
will provide you with an estimate of the cost once you clarify your request
and agree to pay the minimum fee.

There is no initial fee to file a FOIA request, and FOIA provides for up to
two hours of search time and up to 100 pages of photocopying of documents
at no fee. Many requests can be satisfied without exceeding those limits.
Nevertheless, you must state whether you are willing to pay for any
additional search time or photocopying costs incurred in responding to your
request, and, if so, your limit on the additional costs that you are
willing to pay (starting at a minimum of $25). The agency will not incur
expenses beyond the cap that you set without first obtaining your
permission, and, whenever possible, the agency will work with you to narrow
your request to minimize costs to you. In the unlikely event that the fee
exceeds $250, advance payment will be required prior to receiving the
results. (See STB Reference Guide for FOIA Requesters at
http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/docs/FOIA/FOIA%20Reference%20Guide.html#Fees.)

Third, as mentioned above, you must clarify the scope of your request.
Since you are interested in those related to the Surface Transportation
Board Reauthorization Act of 2014, you may wish to limit your request to
emails related to that Act, or you may limit your request to emails sent
after 2013. Limiting the scope of your request will also help to lower
your fees.

Once you identify what records you are requesting, and we receive your
agreement to pay any additional fees, we will process your FOIA request in
a timely manner. Please let me know if we can assist you further, and
please refer to FOIA Request No. 15-004 on any correspondence.

Sincerely,

Chris Oehrle
Attorney Adviser
Phone: (202) 245-0271
for
Marilyn Levitt
FOIA/Privacy Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20423-0001
Phone: (202) 245-0269; Fax: (202) 245-0460
FOIA.Privacy@stb.dot.gov