EPA FOIA ANNUAL REPORT FOR 10/01/2021 THROUGH 09/30/2022 The following Annual Freedom of Information Act report covers the Period 10/01/2021, through 09/30/2022, as required by 5 U.S.C. 552. I. BASIC INFORMATION REGARDING REPORT 1. Name, Title, Address, and Telephone Number Timothy Epp National FOIA Officer Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20460 2025662162 2. Electronic address for Report on the agency web site, htt ps ://www. e pa. g o v/fo ia/fo ia- re po rts 3. How to obtain a copy of the report in paper form. Timothy Epp, National FOIA Office, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Mail Code 2310 A, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 566-1667 II. MAKING A FOIA REQUEST 1. 1. Submit a FOIA request through FOIAonline: https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/home 2. Submit a FOIA request through regular mail or courier services: https://www.epa.gov/foia/forms/contact-us- about-freedom-information-act-and-foia-requests 3.For environmental information on a specific property, you do not need to file a FOIA request: https://www.epa.gov/myproperty III. ACRONYMS, DEFINITIONS, AND EXEMPTIONS 1. Acronyms used : Acronym Definition HQ Headquarters Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and 7 Tribal Nations Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wsconsin Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada,; American Samoa, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, 271 Native Tribes Region 01. Region 02. Region 03. Region 04. Region 05. Region 06. Region 07. Region 08. Region 09. Region 10 1 ------- 2. Definition of terms used in this report: a. Administrative Appeal - a request to a federal agency asking that it review at a higher administrative level a FOIA determination made by the agency at the initial request level. b. Average Number - the number obtained by dividing the sum of a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group. For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the average number is 8. c. Backlog - the number of requests or administrative appeals that are pending at an agency at the end of the fiscal year that are beyond the statutory time period for a response. d. Component - for agencies that process requests on a decentralized basis, a "component" is an entity, also sometimes referred to as an Office, Division, Bureau, Center, or Directorate, within the agency that processes FOIA requests. The FOIA now requires that agencies include in their Annual FOIA Report data for both the agency overall and for each principal component of the agency. e. Consultation - the procedure whereby the agency responding to a FOIA request first forwards a record to another agency for its review because that other agency has an interest in the document. Once the agency in receipt of the consultation finishes its review of the record, it responds back to the agency that forwarded it. That agency, in turn, will then respond to the FOIA requester. f. Exemption 3 Statute - a federal statute that exempts information from disclosure and which the agency relies on to withhold information under subsection (b)(3) of the FOIA. g. FOIA Request - a FOIA request is generally a request to a federal agency for access to records concerning another person (i.e., a "third-party" request), or concerning an organization, or a particular topic of interest. FOIA requests also include requests made by requesters seeking records concerning themselves (i.e., "first- party" requests) when those requesters are not subject to the Privacy Act, such as non-U.S. citizens. Moreover, because all first-party requesters should be afforded the benefit of both the access provisions of the FOIA as well as those of the Privacy Act, FOIA requests also include any first-party requests where an agency determines that it must search beyond its Privacy Act "systems of records" or where a Privacy Act exemption applies, and the agency looks to FOIA to afford the greatest possible access. All requests which require the agency to utilize the FOIA in responding to the requester are included in this Report. Additionally, a FOIA request includes records referred to the agency for processing and direct response to the requester. It does not, however, include records for which the agency has received a consultation from another agency. (Consultations are reported separately in Section XII of this Report.) h. Full Grant - an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request i. Full Denial - an agency decision not to release any records in response to a FOIA request because the records are exempt in their entireties under one or more of the FOIA exemptions, or because of a procedural reason, such as when no records could be located. j. Median Number - the middle, not average, number. For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7. k. Multi-Track Processing - a system in which simple requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous and complex requests are placed in one or more other tracks. Requests granted expedited processing are placed in yet another track. Requests in each track are processed on a first in/first out basis. I. Expedited Processing - an agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis when a requester satisfies the requirements for expedited processing as set forth in the statute and in agency regulations. m. Simple Request - a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in its fastest (non- expedited) track based on the low volume and/or simplicity of the records requested. 2 ------- n. Complex Request - a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in a slower track based on the high volume and/or complexity of the records requested. 0. Partial Grant/Partial Denial - in response to a FOIA request, an agency decision to disclose portions of the records and to withhold other portions that are exempt under the FOIA, or to otherwise deny a portion of the request for a procedural reason. p. Pending Request or Pending Administrative Appeal - a request or administrative appeal for which an agency has not taken final action in all respects. q. Perfected Request - a request for records which reasonably describes such records and is made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees (if any) and procedures to be followed. r. Processed Request or Processed Administrative Appeal - a request or administrative appeal for which an agency has taken final action in all respects. s. Range in Number of Days - the lowest and highest number of days to process requests or administrative appeals. t. Time Limits - the time period in the statute for an agency to respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily twenty working days from receipt of a perfected FOIA request). 3. Concise descriptions of the nine FOIA exemptions : a. Exemption 1 - classified national defense and foreign relations information b. Exemption 2 - internal agency rules and practices c. Exemption 3 - information that is prohibited from disclosure by another federal law d. Exemption 4 - trade secrets and other confidential business information e. Exemption 5 - inter-agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges f. Exemption 6 - information involving matters of personal privacy g. Exemption 7 - records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, to the extent that the production of those records (A) could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings, (B) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (C) could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (D) could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, (E) would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or (F) could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual h. Exemption 8 - information relating to the supervision of financial institutions 1. Exemption 9 - geological information on wells 3 ------- IV. EXEMPTION 3 STATUTES Statute Type of Information Withheld Case Citation Number of Times Relied Upon per Component Total Number of Times Relied Upon by Agency 7 U.S.C. § 136i-1 (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) Data "that would directly or indirectly reveal the identity of individual producers [of certain pesticides]" Doe v. Veneman, 380 F. 3d 807, 818 (5th Cir. 2004). HQ : 21 21 5 U.S.C. § 7114(b)(4), 7132 (Civil Service Reform Act) Certain labor relations training and guidance materials (Dubin v. Dep't of Treasury, 555 F. Supp. 408, 412 (N.D. Ga. 1981) (5 U.S.C. § 7114(b)(4)), aff'd, 697 F.2d 1093 (11th Cir. 1983) (unpublished table decision); NTEU v. OPM, No. 76-695, slip op. at 3-4 (D.D.C. July 9, 1979) (5 U.S.C. § 7114(b)(4) and 5 U.S.C. §7132) HQ : 1 1 5 U.S.C. app. 107(a) (Ethics and Govt Act of 1978) Financial disclosure information pertaining to certain government employees. Meyerhoff v. EPA, 958 F.2d 1498, 1500-02 (9th Cir. 1992); Boyd v. Exec. Office for U.S. Attorneys, 161 F. Supp. 3d 1, 7 (D.D.C.) 2015; Seife v. NIH, 874 F. Supp. 2d 248, 254 (S.D.N.Y. 2012); Concepcion v. FBI, 606 F. Supp. 2d 14, 33 (D.D.C. 2009), renewed motion for summary judgment granted in part on other grounds, 699 F. Supp. 2d 106 (D.D.C. 2010); Glascoe V. DOJ, No. 04- 0486, 2005 WL 1139269 at *1 (D.D.C. May 15, 2005). HQ : 15 15 42 U.S.C. § 7412(r)(7)(H)(V) (Chemical Safety Information Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act Chemical safety information HQ : 1 R6 : 1 2 5 U.S.C. § 5740) Dispute resolution communications between a neutral and a party that may not be disclosed under the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996. HQ : 1 1 4 ------- 16 U.S.C. § 470hh Archaeological Resources Protection Act 1979 Information Pertaining to the nature and location of certain archaeological resources Hornbostel v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, 305 F. Supp. 2d 21, 30 (D.D.C. 2003), summary affirmance granted, No. 03-5257, 2004 WL 1900562 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 25, 2004). R10 : 2 2 Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e), enacted by Act of July 30, 1977, Pub. L. No. 95-78, 91 Stat. 319 Certain records pertaining to grand jury proceedings Durham v. U.S. Atty. Gen. No. 06- 843, 2008 WL 62744, at *2 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 3, 2008); Cozen O'Connor v. U.S. Dep't of Treasury, 570 F. Supp 2d 749, 776 (E.D. Pa. 2008). HQ : 1 R7 : 1 2 5 ------- V. FOIA REQUESTS A. Received, Processed and Pending FOIA Requests Number of Requests Pending as of Start of Fiscal Year Number of Requests Received in Fiscal Year Number of Requests Processed in Fiscal Year Number of Requests Pending as of End of Fiscal Year HQ 1400 3813 3837 1376 R1 21 81 97 5 R10 60 114 125 49 R2 161 403 434 130 R3 59 286 268 77 R4 39 429 379 89 R5 83 611 632 62 R6 56 384 369 71 R7 9 145 133 21 R8 14 113 116 11 R9 37 257 240 54 TOTAL 1939 6636 6630 1945 * After reviewing its database, EPA updated the Number of Requests Pending at the Start of the Fiscal Year. B.( 1) Disposition of FOIA Requests - All Processed Requests Number of Full Denials Based on Reasons Other than Exemptions Number of Full Grants Number of Partial Grants / Partial Denials Number of Full Denials Based on Exemptions No Records All Records Referred to Another Agency Request Withdrawn Fee- Related Reason Records Not Reasonably Described Improper FOIA Request for Other Reasons Not an Agency Record Duplicate Request Other TOTAL HQ 890 567 46 252 1 321 14 81 1586 9 66 4 3837 R1 52 10 0 20 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 97 R10 29 64 0 15 2 13 2 0 0 0 0 0 125 R2 223 29 0 84 0 58 0 34 0 0 6 0 434 R3 78 48 0 73 0 58 2 4 0 0 5 0 268 R4 240 35 0 75 0 24 0 0 0 2 3 0 379 R5 240 45 1 246 0 49 44 2 0 0 5 0 632 R6 148 67 2 88 0 64 0 0 0 0 0 0 369 R7 50 21 1 37 0 21 0 0 0 0 3 0 133 R8 42 14 0 19 0 33 1 0 0 0 7 0 116 R9 97 27 1 51 0 61 0 2 0 0 1 0 240 TOTAL 2089 927 51 960 3 717 63 123 1586 11 96 4 6630 B.(2) Disposition of FOIA Requests - Other Reasons for Full Denials Based on Reasons Other than Exemptions Description of Other Reasons for Denials from Chart B.(1) & Number of Times Those Reasons Were Relied Upon TOTAL HQ Directed Requester to Another Entity Subject to the FOIA 2 Litigation 2 4 TOTAL 4 6 ------- B.(3 Disposition of FOIA Requests - Number of Times Exemptions Applied Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 7(A) Ex. 7(B) Ex. 7(C) Ex. 7(D) Ex. 7(E) Ex. 7(F) Ex. 8 Ex. 9 HQ 0 3 40 85 301 503 30 1 93 2 37 29 0 1 R1 0 0 0 1 3 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 R10 0 4 2 34 20 58 1 0 10 1 7 0 0 0 R2 0 0 0 7 12 11 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 R3 0 0 0 12 15 37 6 0 2 0 1 0 0 11 R4 0 0 0 4 10 29 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 R5 0 0 0 3 19 34 9 0 5 2 1 1 0 6 R6 0 1 1 11 31 49 10 0 3 0 1 0 0 6 R7 0 0 1 10 5 10 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 R8 0 0 0 2 5 10 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 R9 0 0 0 7 8 21 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 TOTAL 0 8 44 176 429 767 79 1 117 6 48 30 0 36 7 ------- VI. ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS OF INITIAL DETERMINATIONS OF FOIA REQUESTS A. Received, Processed and Pending FOIA Appeals Number of Appeals Pending as of Start of Fiscal Year Number of Appeals Received in Fiscal Year Number of Appeals Processed in Fiscal Year Number of Appeals Pending as of End of Fiscal Year HQ 5 132 130 7 TOTAL 5 132 130 7 B. Disposition of Administrative Appeals All Processed Appeals Number of Affirmed on Appeal Number Partially Affirmed & Partially Reversed/Remanded on Appeal Number of Completely Reversed/Remanded on Appeal Number of Appeals Closed for Other Reasons TOTAL HQ 35 20 27 48 130 TOTAL 35 20 27 48 130 C.(1) Reasons for Denial on Appeal Number of Times Exemptions Applied Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 7(A) Ex. 7(B) Ex. 7(C) Ex. 7(D) Ex. 7(E) Ex. 7(F) Ex. 8 Ex. 9 HQ 0 0 2 2 27 26 9 0 5 0 4 1 0 0 TOTAL 0 0 2 2 27 26 9 0 5 0 4 1 0 0 C.(2) Reasons for Denial on Appeal Reasons Other than Exemptions No Records Records Referred at Initial Request Level Request Withdrawn Fee- Related Reason Records Not Reasonably Described Improper Request for Other Reasons Not Agency Record Duplicate Request or Appeal Request in Litigation Appeal Based Solely on Denial for Expedited Processing Other HQ 3 2 2 3 1 0 0 6 0 3 39 TOTAL 3 2 2 3 1 0 0 6 0 3 39 C.(3) Reasons for Denial on Appeal Other Reasons Description of Other Reasons for Denials from Chart C.(2) & Number of Times Those Reasons Were Relied Upon TOTAL HQ Moot 39 39 TOTAL 39 C.(4) Response Time for Administrative Appeals Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days HQ 15.0 13.66 < 1 30.0 TOTAL 15.0 13.66 < 1 30.0 C.(5) Ten Oldest Pending Administrative Appeals 10th Oldest Appeal and Number of Days Pending 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd Oldest Appeal and Number of Days Pending HQ 2022-09-29 1 2022-09-28 2 2022-09-28 2 2022-09-26 4 2022-09-14 12 2022-09-13 13 2022-09-09 15 TOTAL 2022-09-29 1 2022-09-28 2 2022-09-28 2 2022-09-26 4 2022-09-14 12 2022-09-13 13 2022-09-09 15 8 ------- VII. FOIA REQUESTS: RESPONSE TIME FOR PROCESSED AND PENDING REQUESTS A. Processed Requests - Response Time for All Processed Perfected Requests SIMPLE COMPLEX EXPEDITED Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days HQ 20.0 52.83 < 1 1202.0 224.0 417.92 1.0 2242.0 - - - - R1 11.0 21.25 1.0 542.0 153.0 191.24 3.0 579.0 - - - - R10 16.5 21.32 2.0 132.0 127.0 251.41 7.0 1013.0 - - - - R2 16.5 96.83 < 1 1365.0 45.0 113.54 1.0 1372.0 308.5 308.5 46.0 571.0 R3 18.0 48.08 1.0 521.0 51.0 77.36 6.0 217.0 - - - - R4 12.0 13.73 1.0 88.0 18.0 31.8 1.0 370.0 - - - - R5 10.0 16.34 < 1 300.0 35.0 75.81 < 1 449.0 83.0 83.0 1.0 165.0 R6 18.5 31.16 < 1 352.0 20.0 40.43 3.0 1209.0 - - - - R7 13.0 18.86 < 1 647.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 - - - - R8 4.0 6.4 < 1 27.0 20.5 24.6 < 1 122.0 - - - - R9 20.0 41.57 3.0 507.0 142.0 120.67 30.0 190.0 - - - - TOTAL 17.0 40.86 < 1 1365.0 47.0 195.45 < 1 2242.0 105.5 195.75 1.0 571.0 B. Processed Requests Response Time for Perfected Requests in Which Information Was Granted SIMPLE COMPLEX EXPEDITED Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Lowest Number of Days Highest Number of Days HQ 20.0 53.95 < 1 1096.0 173.0 355.2 4.0 1751.0 - - - - R1 13.0 27.74 1.0 542.0 244.0 240.0 7.0 579.0 - - - - R10 19.5 25.8 3.0 132.0 127.0 251.23 9.0 1013.0 - - - - R2 28.0 144.77 2.0 1365.0 46.0 125.54 3.0 1372.0 46.0 46.0 46.0 46.0 R3 33.0 48.77 2.0 404.0 53.0 81.54 6.0 217.0 - - - - R4 12.0 13.95 1.0 88.0 19.0 32.77 1.0 298.0 - - - - R5 16.0 24.6 1.0 300.0 79.0 118.69 8.0 449.0 165.0 165.0 165.0 165.0 R6 20.0 41.51 < 1 352.0 40.0 59.69 4.0 1209.0 - - - - R7 16.0 26.51 1.0 647.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 - - - - R8 10.0 10.09 1.0 20.0 22.0 30.91 1.0 122.0 - - - - R9 24.5 51.09 4.0 507.0 166.0 166.0 142.0 190.0 - - - - TOTAL 20.0 46.93 < 1 1365.0 60.0 184.0 1.0 1751.0 105.5 105.5 0 165.0 9 ------- C. Processed Requests Response Time in Day Increments Simple Requests 1-20 Days 21-40 Days 41 -60 Days 61-80 Days 81-100 Days 101-120 Days 121-140 Days 141-160 Days 161-180 Days 181-200 Days 201 -300 Days 301-400 Days 401 + Days TOTAL HQ 822 337 79 58 39 25 26 15 6 6 20 11 39 1483 R1 64 8 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 76 R10 58 8 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 R2 39 18 5 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 5 75 R3 134 47 20 19 3 5 4 1 2 0 5 7 3 250 R4 118 9 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 129 R5 381 41 12 11 6 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 456 R6 95 28 9 5 2 3 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 148 R7 112 14 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 131 R8 67 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 68 R9 120 46 31 9 11 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 1 235 TOTAL 2010 557 166 107 65 38 34 22 13 7 33 23 50 3125 Complex Requests 1-20 Days 21-40 Days 41 -60 Days 61-80 Days 81-100 Days 101-120 Days 121-140 Days 141-160 Days 161-180 Days 181-200 Days 201 -300 Days 301-400 Days 401 + Days TOTAL HQ 63 52 30 28 24 22 17 14 15 11 36 37 234 583 R1 3 2 1 2 0 0 1 2 1 0 4 2 3 21 R10 7 0 6 4 6 1 2 0 0 0 7 4 14 51 R2 32 109 50 34 12 13 2 16 5 2 16 7 25 323 R3 1 2 5 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 14 R4 156 47 19 5 5 3 6 2 2 1 3 1 0 250 R5 50 43 19 13 12 5 3 0 0 1 20 3 3 172 R6 115 40 29 13 10 7 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 221 R7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 R8 24 17 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 48 R9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 TOTAL 452 313 162 103 71 51 34 37 23 18 88 55 280 1687 Expedited Requests 1-20 21-40 41 -60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 161-180 181-200 201 -300 301-400 401 + TOTAL Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days Days R2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 R5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 TOTAL 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 10 ------- D. Pending Requests All Pending Perfected Requests SIMPLE COMPLEX EXPEDITED Number Pending Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Number Pending Median Number of Days Average Number of Days Number Pending Median Number of Days Average Number of Days HQ 449 125.0 264.74 881 581.0 617.1 5 1363.0 944.4 R1 2 4.0 4.0 3 22.0 61.0 0 - - R10 2 36.0 36.0 47 182.0 310.47 0 - - R2 18 56.0 125.06 106 118.0 213.65 0 - - R3 71 52.0 115.66 6 68.0 62.33 0 - - R4 10 4.0 19.6 74 51.5 81.42 0 - - R5 34 9.0 17.32 26 31.5 83.73 0 - - R6 26 20.5 81.27 45 22.0 60.04 0 - - R7 19 10.0 11.63 2 20.5 20.5 0 - - R8 1 13.0 13.0 10 22.5 67.1 0 - - R9 52 22.5 56.06 1 22.0 22.0 0 - - TOTAL 684 66.0 198.49 1201 397.0 493.83 5 1363.0 944.4 E. Pending Requests Ten Oldest Pending Perfected Requests 10th Oldest Request and Number of Days Pending 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd Oldest Request and Number of Days Pending HQ 2016-08-31 1519 2016-07-11 1556 2016-06-16 1572 2016-06-02 1582 2016-04-27 1606 2016-04-11 1619 2015-12-24 1691 2015-12-10 1702 2015-06-12 1826 2015-06-04 1832 R1 2022-09-26 3 2022-09-14 5 2022-08-16 22 2022-02-22 154 2021 -05-28 7 R10 2020-09-09 495 2020-09-01 429 2020-07-17 433 2020-01 -09 680 2019-11-12 713 2019-10-30 697 2019-10-30 710 2017-11 -07 1222 2016-04-25 1480 2016-04-19 1500 R2 2020-04-17 611 2020-03-13 631 2020-03-10 636 2020-02-27 647 2020-02-27 644 2020-01-22 670 2020-01 -07 561 2019-04-15 849 2019-01-15 869 2017-03-15 1255 R3 2021-09-13 262 2021-08-19 278 2021 -07-19 257 2021 -02-22 404 2021-02-16 386 2021-01-28 420 2020-12-17 9 2020-12-10 450 2020-09-03 513 2020-03-13 635 R4 2022-03-09 144 2022-02-17 156 2022-01-31 169 2022-01 -06 184 2022-01 -06 184 2022-01-03 187 2021 -03-16 325 2020-07-14 552 2019-09-16 751 2019-08-07 722 R5 2022-06-06 76 2022-05-09 87 2022-04-27 106 2022-04-13 117 2022-03-29 48 2022-03-24 115 2022-01 -12 180 2021-12-09 200 2021-06-14 324 2020-03-30 623 R6 2022-06-16 73 2022-06-10 76 2022-05-18 92 2022-05-18 92 2022-05-05 101 2021-10-26 224 2021 -02-16 365 2020-12-09 434 2020-07-23 546 2016-06-14 1562 R7 2022-08-22 4 2022-08-16 6 2022-08-16 22 2022-07-20 19 2022-07-12 18 2022-07-05 10 2022-06-27 4 2022-06-13 13 2022-06-08 13 2022-03-30 39 R8 2022-09-19 0 2022-09-06 13 2022-08-31 17 2022-08-26 23 2022-08-23 17 2022-08-16 22 2022-07-27 42 2022-06-30 64 2022-05-20 91 2021-01-04 394 R9 2022-05-02 105 2022-03-10 141 2022-03-07 144 2022-01 -24 173 2022-01 -07 179 2021-10-22 233 2021-10-19 236 2021-10-19 236 2021-07-19 294 2021 -05-10 348 TOTAL 2016-06-14 1562 2016-06-02 1582 2016-04-27 1606 2016-04-25 1480 2016-04-19 1500 2016-04-11 1619 2015-12-24 1691 2015-12-10 1702 2015-06-12 1826 2015-06-04 1832 ------- VIII. REQUESTS FOR EXPEDITED PROCESSING AND REQUESTS FOR FEE WAIVER A. Requests for Expedited Processing Number Granted Number Denied Median Number of Days to Adjudicate Average Number of Days to Adjudicate Number Adjudicated Within Ten Calendar Days HQ 5 220 2.0 3.39 224 TOTAL 5 220 2.0 3.39 224 B. Requests for Fee Waiver Number Granted Number Denied Median Number of Days to Adjudicate Average Number of Days to Adjudicate HQ 338 402 0.0 0.09 TOTAL 338 402 0.0 0.09 12 ------- IX. FOIA PERSONNEL AND COSTS PERSONNEL COSTS Number of Full- Time FOIA Employees Number of Equivalent Full- Time FOIA Employees Total Number of Full-Time FOIA Staff Processing Costs Litigation-Related Costs Total Costs HQ 52 24.95 76.95 $13,444,704.00 $981,056.00 $14,425,760.00 R1 4 0.0 4.0 $698,880.00 $0.00 $698,880.00 R10 6 5.0 11.0 $1,921,920.00 $0.00 $1,921,920.00 R2 2 9.9 11.9 $2,079,168.00 $0.00 $2,079,168.00 R3 7 3.14 10.14 $1,771,661.00 $0.00 $1,771,661.00 R4 10 0.0 10.0 $1,747,200.00 $0.00 $1,747,200.00 R5 13 24.1 37.1 $6,482,112.00 $0.00 $6,482,112.00 R6 6 10.75 16.75 $2,926,560.00 $0.00 $2,926,560.00 R7 1 5.2 6.2 $1,083,264.00 $0.00 $1,083,264.00 R8 3 4.5 7.5 $1,310,400.00 $0.00 $1,310,400.00 R9 2 5.74 7.74 $1,352,333.00 $0.00 $1,352,333.00 TOTAL 106 93.28 199.28 $34,818,202.00 $981,056.00 $35,799,258.00 * The personnel data in this chart was produced by a FOIA personnel survey EPA conducted at the end of the Fiscal Year. 13 ------- X. FEES COLLECTED FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS Total Amount of Fees Collected Percentage of Total Costs HQ $59,953.48 0.45 R1 $4,179.90 0.60 R10 $21,610.17 1.12 R2 $10,291.92 0.50 R3 $6,411.50 0.36 R4 $262.00 0.01 R5 $19,848.50 0.31 R6 $23,544.00 0.80 R7 $6,309.00 0.58 R8 $7,222.15 0.55 R9 $37,503.13 2.77 TOTAL $197,135.75 0.57 14 ------- XI. FOIA REGULATIONS A. Number of Times Subsection (c) Used Number of Times Subsection (c) Used R2 1 TOTAL 1 B. Number of Subsection (a) 2) Postings Number of Items Posted by FOIA Office Number of Items Posted by Program HQ 29416 0 R1 2777 0 R10 12952 0 R2 9085 0 R3 5727 0 R4 9064 0 R5 9154 0 R6 9300 0 R7 1268 0 R8 10597 0 R9 11332 0 TOTAL 110672 0 * This table reflects EPA records made available in FY 2022 for public inspection on FOIAonline.gov. 15 ------- XII. BACKLOGS, CONSULTATIONS, AND COMPARISONS A. Backlogs of FOIA Requests and Administrative Appeals Number of Backlogged Requests as of End of Fiscal Year Number of Backlogged Appeals as of End of Fiscal Year HQ 1195 0 R1 2 0 R10 42 0 R2 95 0 R3 57 0 R4 49 0 R5 25 0 R6 36 0 R7 3 0 R8 6 0 R9 27 0 TOTAL 1537 0 B. Consultations on FOIA Requests Received, Processed, and Pending Consultations Number of Consultations Received from Other Agencies that Were Pending as of Start of the Fiscal Year Number of Consultations Received from Other Agencies During the Fiscal Year Number of Consultations Received from Other Agencies that Were Processed During the Fiscal Year Number of Consultations Received from Other Agencies that Were Pending as of End of the Fiscal Year HQ 14 54 63 5 R1 0 1 1 0 R10 0 1 1 0 R2 0 2 1 1 R3 0 1 1 0 R4 0 1 1 0 R5 0 1 1 0 R9 0 1 1 0 TOTAL 14 62 70 6 * After reviewing its database, EPA adjusted the Number of Consultations Pending as of the Start of the Fiscal Year for HQ. C. Consultations on FOIA Requests Ten Oldest Consultations Received from Other Agencies and Pending 10th Oldest Consultation and Number of Days Pending 9th 8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd Oldest Consultation and Number of Days Pending HQ 2022-09-21 7 2022-08-04 40 2022-07-22 49 2022-07-06 61 2022-05-04 103 R2 2022-09-08 16 TOTAL 2022-09-21 7 2022-09-08 16 2022-08-04 40 2022-07-22 49 2022-07-06 61 2022-05-04 103 16 ------- D. Comparison of Numbers of Requests from Previous and Current Annual Report Requests Received, Processed, and Backlogged NUMBER OF REQUESTS RECEIVED NUMBER OF REQUESTS PROCESSED Number Received During Fiscal Year from Last Year's Annual Report Number Received During Fiscal Year from Current Year's Annual Report Number Processed During Fiscal Year from Last Year's Annual Report Number Processed During Fiscal Year from Current Annual Report HQ 3698 3813 4061 3837 R1 91 81 93 97 R10 161 114 195 125 R2 348 403 336 434 R3 288 286 283 268 R4 417 429 412 379 R5 628 611 672 632 R6 352 384 378 369 R7 171 145 180 133 R8 114 113 115 116 R9 217 257 218 240 TOTAL 6485 6636 6943 6630 Number of Backlogged Requests as of End ofthe Fiscal Year from Previous Annual Report Number of Backlogged Requests as of End ofthe Fiscal Year from Current Annual Report HQ 1200 1195 R1 11 2 R10 46 42 R2 113 95 R3 33 57 R4 17 49 R5 39 25 R6 19 36 R7 0 3 R8 4 6 R9 18 27 TOTAL 1500 1537 * DOJ requires, for consistency across agencies, that the annual report backlog calculation account for only 20-day or 30-day statutory response timeframes. EPA's data reported here complies with DOJ's requirement for the annual report. Elsewhere, internally, EPA reports its backlog based on a calculation that accounts for alternative timeframes to process requests under unusual circumstances and reflecting EPA's communications with requesters as provided in § 552(a)(6)(B)(ii). E. Comparison of Numbers of Administrative Appeals from Previous and Current Annual Report Appeals Received, Processed, and Backlogged NUMBER OF APPEALS RECEIVED NUMBER OF APPEALS PROCESSED Number Received During Fiscal Year from Last Year's Annual Report Number Received During Fiscal Year from Current Annual Report Number Processed During Fiscal Year from Last Year's Annual Report Number Processed During Fiscal Year from Current Annual Report HQ 154 132 160 130 TOTAL 154 132 160 130 Number of Backlogged Appeals as of End ofthe Fiscal Year from Previous Annual Report Number of Backlogged Appeals as of End ofthe Fiscal Year from Current Annual Report For FY 2021 and FY 2022, the EPA did not have any backlogged administrative appeals. 17 ------- |