[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 222 (Thursday, November 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81096-81098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27669]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9955-30-OEI]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of amended Privacy Act system of records final.
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SUMMARY: The FOIA Request and Appeal File system of records is being
amended to include all information and data elements that are being
collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
participating agencies as it relates to FOIA requests, appeals and
responses. This information is being removed from the Federal Docket
Management System (FDMS) system of records and being added to the FOIA
Request and Appeal File (EPA-9) system of records. The FOIA Request and
Appeal File system of records is also being amended to provide an
additional routine use for the system. The additional routine use being
added to this system of records, will allow the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA), Office of Government Information
Services (OGIS), and the EPA to share information in the FOIA Request
and Appeal File system in order to mediate and resolve disputes between
requesters and administrative agencies without delay. OGIS will work
directly with each agency using FOIAonline to access case level
information that is not
[[Page 81097]]
publically available in order to perform mediation services.
Records are stored in a secure, password protected electronic
system that utilizes security hardware and software to include multiple
firewalls, active intruder detection and role-based accessed controls.
Additional safeguards vary by participating agencies. EPA also has
records from the period prior to its use of the FOIAonline system which
are stored in file folders in lockable file cabinets. The FOIA Request
and Appeal File system is maintained under the authority of the Freedom
of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
DATES: Persons wishing to comment on this system or records notice must
do so by December 27, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OEI-2015-0758, by one of the following methods:
www.regulations.gov: Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 202-566-1752.
Mail: OEI Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T,
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
Hand Delivery: OEI Docket, EPA/DC, WJC West Building, Room 3334,
1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only
accepted during the Docket's normal hours of operation, and special
arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.
Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OEI-
2015-0758. The EPA's policy is that all comments received will be
included in the public docket without change and may be made available
online at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be
Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information for which
disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov.
The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system,
which means the EPA will not know your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email
comment directly to the EPA without going through www.regulations.gov
your email address will be automatically captured and included as part
of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available
on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, the EPA
recommends that you include your name and other contact information in
the body of your comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If the
EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot
contact you for clarification, the EPA may not be able to consider your
comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters,
any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For
additional information about the EPA's public docket visit the EPA
Docket Center homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.
Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the
www.regulations.gov index. Although listed in the index, some
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information
for which disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material,
such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard
copy. Publicly available docket materials are available either
electronically in www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the OEI
Docket, EPA/DC, WJC West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave.
NW., Washington, DC. The Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding legal holidays. The
telephone number for the Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the
telephone number for the OEI Docket is (202) 566-1752.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Gottesman, FOIA, Library and
Accessibility Division, Office of Environmental Information, Office,
(202) 566-2162, U.S. EPA, Office of Environmental Information, MC
2282T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Request and Appeal File (EPA-9) system contains a copy of each FOIA
request and appeal received by the EPA and a copy of all correspondence
related to the request, including name, affiliation address, telephone
numbers, and other information about a requester. FOIAonline is managed
and used by the EPA and other agencies to process, track and respond to
FOIA requests and appeals. The FOIAonline system provides the EPA and
partner agencies with a secure, password protected Web site to
electronically receive, process, track and store requests from the
public for federal records; post responsive records to a Web site;
collect data for annual reporting requirements to the Department of
Justice and manage internal FOIA administration activities. In
addition, the FOIA system allows the public to submit and track FOIA
requests and appeals; access requests and responsive records online and
obtain the status of requests filed with the EPA and partner agencies.
FOIAonline is a software application used by the EPA and other
agencies. Social security numbers and other types of personally
identifiable information may be provided in requests or in responsive
documents. In some cases, agencies may require this information to
fulfill a request. All participating agencies will ensure that
sensitive PII is not made publicly available. The name of a FOIA
requester may be publicly available and searchable by the public based
on an agency's policies. With the exception of a requester's name, any
other personally identifiable information provided by a requester
during the process of completing the online request form or creating an
online account (e.g., home addresses, email address and contact
information) will not be posted to the Web site, nor will it be
searchable by the public. Personally identifiable information
determined to be publicly releasable and contained in documents
released to the public under FOIA (e.g., the names and official contact
information of government employees or the names of agency
correspondents) will be publicly available and searchable by the public
if posted by a participating agency. Individuals accessing the system
are FOIA Officers, FOIA coordinators, subject matter experts and
members of the public. Computer records are maintained in a secure,
password protected computer system that operates in compliance with
Federal Security Information Modernization Act (FISMA) moderate level
requirements located at EPA's National Computer Center located at 109
T.W. Alexander Drive, Durham, NC 27709. All records are maintained in
secure, access-controlled areas or buildings. The system is maintained
in the EPA's Office of Environmental Information, Headquarter Program
Offices, Regional Offices and the Office of General Counsel.
Dated: October 21, 2016.
Ann Dunkin,
Chief Information Officer.
EPA-9
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request and Appeal File.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
EPA's National Computer Center located at 109 T.W. Alexander Drive,
Durham, NC 27709.
[[Page 81098]]
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
PURPOSE(S):
To provide the public a single location to submit and track FOIA
requests and appeals filed with the EPA and participating agencies, to
manage internal FOIA administration activities and to collect data for
annual reporting requirements to the Department of Justice.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
All persons requesting information or filing appeals under the
Freedom of Information Act.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
A copy of each Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request received
by the EPA and other participating agencies and a copy of all
correspondence related to the request, including individuals' names,
mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, social security
numbers, dates of birth, alias(es) used by the requester, alien numbers
assigned to travelers crossing national borders, requesters' parents'
names, user names and passwords for registered users, FOIA tracking
numbers, dates requests are submitted and received, related appeals and
agency responses. Records also include communications with requesters,
internal FOIA administrative documents (e.g., billing invoices) and
responsive records.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
General routine uses A, E, F, G, H, K, and L apply to this system.
Records may also be disclosed to:
1. Another federal agency (a) with an interest in the record in
connection with a referral of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
request to that agency for its views or decision on disclosure, or (b)
in order to obtain advice and recommendations concerning matters on
which the agency has specialized experience or particular competence
that may be useful to an agency in making required determinations under
the FOIA.
2. To the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of
Government Information Services (OGIS), to the extent necessary to
fulfill its responsibilities in 5 U.S.C. 552(h), to review
administrative agency policies, procedures and compliance with the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and to facilitate OGIS' offering of
mediation services to resolve disputes between persons making FOIA
requests and administrative agencies.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
Records are stored in file folders in lockable file cabinets.
Records are also stored in a secure, password protected electronic
system that utilizes security hardware and software to include multiple
firewalls, active intruder detection and role-based accessed controls.
Additional safeguards vary by participating agencies.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVABILITY OF RECORDS:
Requests are retrieved from the system by numerous data elements
and key word searches, including name, agency, dates, subject, FOIA
tracking number and other information retrievable with full-text
searching capability.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
Each federal agency handles its records in accordance with its
records schedule as approved by NARA. FOIA records are covered under
NARA General Record Schedule 14--Information Services Records unless a
participating agency's records are managed under other record schedules
approved by NARA.
PHYSICAL, PROCEDURAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE SAFEGUARDS:
Computer records are maintained in a secure, password protected
computer system. Paper records are maintained in lockable file
cabinets. All records are maintained in secure, access-controlled areas
or buildings.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Tim Crawford, [email protected], U.S. EPA, Office of
Environmental Information, MC 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
Individuals seeking access to their own personal information in
this system of records is required to provide adequate identification
(e.g., driver's license, military identification card, employee badge
or identification card). Additional identity verification procedures
may be required as warranted. Requests must meet the requirements of
EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 16.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
Requests for correction or amendment must identify the record to be
changed and the corrective action sought. Requests must be submitted to
the agency contact indicated on the initial document for which the
related contested record was submitted.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
Any individual who wants to know whether this system of records
contains a record about him or her, should make a written request to
the EPA Privacy Officer, MC 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20460.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
[FR Doc. 2016-27669 Filed 11-16-16; 8:45 am]
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