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On February 4, 2013, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.  Among other grounds for its appeal, the Appellant appealed the OIR’s decision to withhold portions of the released documents pursuant to Exemption 6.

On January 23, 2013, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision remanding an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Golden Field Office (GFO).  The Appellant appealed the GFO’s decision to apply Exemption 4 and withhold a settlement amount between the American Iron and Steele Institute (AISI) and the Department of Energy (DOE), which was the total amount that AISI was required to reimburse DOE pursuant to a Cooperative Agreement.

On January 23, 2013, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Office of Information Resources (OIR).  Among other grounds for its appeal, the Appellant appealed the OIR’s decision to withhold portions of the released documents pursuant to Exemption 5’s deliberative process privilege.

On March 14, 2011, Environmental Defense Institute (EDI) filed an Appeal from a determination issued by the Idaho Operations Office (Idaho) of the Department of Energy (DOE) under the Freedom of Information Act. EDI filed a request in which it sought several documents concerning the Advanced Test Reactor, located at the Idaho National Laboratory. In a February 8, 2011, determination, Idaho provided responsive documents, but withheld portions of one responsive document on the basis of Exemption 3. EDI raised several challenges to the determination in its Appeal.

On December 14, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Department of Energy’s Office of Information Resources (OIR). The Appellant contested the adequacy of the search for documents responsive to its FOIA request, which was conducted by the Office of Headquarters Procurements Services (OHPS).  The OHA reviewed the OHPS’ description of its search and determined that it conducted an adequate search for responsive documents. Therefore, the OHA denied the Appeal.

On December 14, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision remanding in part an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Loan Guarantee Program Office (LGPO).  The Appellant appealed the LGPO’s decision to withhold portions of the released documents pursuant to Exemption 4 and contested the adequacy of its search.

On November 29, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Golden Field Office (GFO).  The Appellant appealed the GFO’s decision to withhold portions of the released documents pursuant to Exemption 4.  The Appellant claimed that Exemption 4 could not apply as the company whose records the Appellant was seeking, Abound Solar, commenced bankruptcy proceedings, and therefore, did not have any “commercial interests” to protect from the public.  However, OHA determined that desp

On November 29, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determinations issued by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Richland Operations Office (ROO) and the DOE’s Oak Ridge Office (ORO). Ms. Martha J. McNeely, the Appellant, sought her medical and radiation exposure records from the period 1947 through 1953 while she was a child living at the now-DOE Hanford facility.  In her Request, the Appellant suggested several locations at ROO where responsive records might exist.

On November 16, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Privacy Act determination issued by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office (ORO). Specifically, the Appellant, Mary Ann Parker, contested the adequacy of the ORO’s search in response to her Privacy Act request, contending that additional records should have been provided and that records from a plant that she previously worked at, the Pinellas Plant, should have been sent to the Albuquerque Office.

On November 14, 2012, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision denying an appeal (Appeal) from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) determination issued by the Idaho Operations Office (IOO).  The Appellant appealed the IOO’s decision not to release the requested records.