Use of "Still Interested" letters (Department of Energy)

Emma North-Best filed this request with the Department of Energy of the United States of America.
Tracking #

FIA- 22-0009

HQ-2019-01367-F

Multi Request Use of "Still Interested" letters
Status
Rejected

Communications

From: Emma North-Best


To Whom It May Concern:

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

Documents mentioning or describing any use of "Still Interested" letters (i.e. letters inquiring if the requester is still interested in the records requested) in the processing and/or closure of FOIA requests, including but not limited to:

* The original proposal for their use
* Materials authorizing the use of any of the letters
* Controlling policies or procedures
* Any reports or statistics tracking their use, responses received and/or impact on any FOIA backlog
* Communications with OGIS regarding "Still Interested" letters
* Communications between the FOIA offices and and general counsel's/legal services office discussing or mentioning "still interested" letters
* Materials describing or discussing the number of days given to requesters to respond
* Materials describing the agency's policy on reopening requests when a requester responds after the period of time specified in the letter

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,

Emma Best

From: Department of Energy

Dear Ms. Best,

Attached is the interim letter for your DOE FOIA request HQ-2019-01367-F.

Thank you,

Anjelica Ruda

From: Department of Energy

Dear Ms. Best,

Thank you for your inquiry. We need a date range for this request. Would January 1, 2019 - present be an acceptable date range?

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Anjelica

From: Emma North-Best

How's between the date of the passage of the Freedom of Information Act and the present?

From: Department of Energy

Good Afternoon,

Attached please find a final response to the above mentioned DOE FOIA request.

Thank you,

Kathleen Vaughan, Esq.
FOIA Analyst
Central Research, Inc., Contractor
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20585
(202) 586-5955

From: Emma North-Best

I am appealing the integrity of the search in its entirety, as the Department of Energy uses "still interested" letters and in fact employed them while performing the alleged search. See HQ-2019-01401-F.

From: Department of Energy

Ms. Best,

This Office is in receipt of a Freedom of Information Act appeal which you filed in Request Number HQ-2019-01367-F on June 9, 2020. I have included a copy of that Appeal. Due to mail delivery complications resulting from COVID-19, your appeal was only recently received. Given the length of time since you originally filed, we are writing to you to determine if you still wish to have your appeal processed by our Office. If so, please let us know by return email and, also, please be assured that your appeal will be handled promptly.

We apologize for the delay in receiving your letter, and we look forward to your response.

Janet R. H. Fishman
Administrative Judge
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Department of Energy
Office-202.287.1579
Mobile-240.404.8047
Email-Janet.Fishman@hq.doe.gov<mailto:Email-Janet.Fishman@hq.doe.gov>

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From: Department of Energy

Ms. Best,

I realized I forgot the attachment.

Janet R. H. Fishman
Administrative Judge
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Department of Energy
Office-202.287.1579
Mobile-240.404.8047
Email-Janet.Fishman@hq.doe.gov<mailto:Email-Janet.Fishman@hq.doe.gov>

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From: Emma North-Best

Yes, I am still interested in having my appeal processed - thank you.

From: Department of Energy

Dear Ms. Best,

Attached, please find a letter acknowledging receipt of your appeal by DOE's Office of Hearings and Appeals. Please contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,

Kristin L. Martin
Administrative Judge
Office of Hearings and Appeals
U.S. Department of Energy
(202) 287-1550
Kristin.Martin@hq.doe.gov<mailto:Kristin.Martin@hq.doe.gov>

From: Department of Energy

Mrs. Best,

Attached is the Decision addressing your Freedom of Information Act Appeal, OHA Case No. FIA-22-0009. Also attached is the accompanying Cover Letter.

Please contact Kristin Martin at 240.597.6569 or Kristin.Martin@hq.doe.gov.

Docket Section
Office of Hearings and Appeals
Department of Energy
OHA.Filings@hq.doe.gov

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