IMPORTANT NOTICE
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) offices in the bureaus/offices of the Department of the Interior are continuing to process FOIA requests to the best of their ability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To keep employees healthy and safe, the Department is maximizing telework flexibility and employing social distancing protocols. As a result of these precautions, most employees are working remotely and unable to collect hard copy records located in government facilities at this time. If your request is for hard copy records, the response to your request will very likely be delayed.
In addition, employees may not receive FOIA requests that are sent by U.S. mail, overnight mail services, or facsimile in a timely manner. We recommend, therefore, that requesters submit requests through the government-wide portal at https://www.foia.gov.
DOI FOIA Regulations (effective as of December 16, 2019) require using one of the written forms of submission listed on the Department’s FOIA website, or utilizing physical or facsimile addresses of an appropriate FOIA contact. BOEM FOIA contact information is located below.
Bureau FOIA Officer
Ashley Rychak
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, Virginia 20166
(703) 787-1204
Fax: (703) 787-1209
boemfoia@boem.gov
Department of the Interior
FOIA Public Liaison
(888) 603-7119
FOIA Requester
Service Center
(703) 787-1128
Alaska FOIA - BOEM
3801 Centerpoint Dr
Suite 500
Anchorage AK 99503-5820
(703) 787-1128
Alaska FOIA
Gulf FOIA - BOEM
1201 Elmwood Park Blvd
New Orleans, LA 70123-2394
(504) 736-5787
Gulf of Mexico FOIA
Pacific FOIA - BOEM
760 Paseo Camarillo,
Suite 102
Camarillo, CA 93010-6000
(703) 787-1128
Pacific FOIA
- The Reorganization of the Former MMS
- Attorney General's Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Concerning the Freedom of Information Act
- Message from the Director of the Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice to Agency Chief FOIA Officers and Principal FOIA Contacts Regarding Implementation of President Obama’s FOIA Memorandum
- The Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552)
- DOI FOIA Annual Report
- OIG FOIA Policy and Guidance
- Open Government Act of 2007
- DOI FOIA Improvement Plan under E.O. 13392 (Improving Agency Disclosure of Information)
- DOI Guide to Requesting Information Under FOIA
This includes frequently requested records, opinions, policy statements, and staff manuals/instructions to staff
The 1967 Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) gives you the right to request access to Bureau of Ocean Energy records. The Department of the Interior regulations implementing this law are located at 43 CFR Part 2.
It is the policy of BOEM to make its records available to the public to the greatest extent possible; therefore, BOEM makes many of its records publicly available and a FOIA request may not be necessary. Take a minute to search BOEM's website to see if the information you want is already available. You may want to check the FOIA Library to see if a document is already there.
If you have any questions about the need for a FOIA request, call one of the FOIA contacts listed below.
How Do I Make a FOIA Request?
- Send a written request clearly describing the records you are seeking utilizing a method outlined in “Where Do I Send My Request?“ below.
- Reasonably describe the records you are requesting.
- State the category of your request for fee purposes (i.e. Commercial, Media, Educational, or Other). See Categories of Requesters, below, for more information.
- Authorize fees up to the maximum amount you are willing to pay.
- If requesting a fee waiver, indicate how you qualify (see 43 CFR §§ 2.45(a) and 2.48).
- Specify the format in which you want your response (hard copy, diskette, magnetic tape, etc.).
- Provide an address and telephone number where we can reach you should we need additional information.
Where Do I Send My Request?
Requests can be submitted electronically through FOIAonline at https://www.foiaonline.gov.
BOEM FOIA Contacts
- BOEM FOIA Officer
45600 Woodland Road,
Sterling, Virginia 20166
Fax: (703) 787-1209 - FOIA Requester Service Center
(703) 787-1128
- Department of the Interior FOIA Public Liaison
(888) 603-7119
Other FOIA Contacts of the Former MMS
BSEE
FOIA Officer
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
MS-VAE-BSEE FOIA
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, Virginia 20166
Telephone: (703) 787-1404
Fax: (703) 787-1207
E-mail: BSEEFOIA@bsee.gov
Website: https://www.bsee.gov/newsroom/library/foia
ONRR
FOIA Officer
MS-7328, MIB
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Telephone: (202) 513-0765
Fax: (202) 219-2374
Website: https://www.doi.gov/foia/os
Categories of Requesters
- Commercial Use
- If you are in this category, you are charged for document search, review, and duplication.
- Educational and Noncommercial Scientific Institution
- If you are in this category, you are charged for the cost of duplication alone. Requesters receive the first 100 pages of paper copies free. There is no charge for search or review.
- News Media
- If you are in this category, you are charged for the cost of duplication alone. Requesters receive the first 100 pages of paper copies free. There is no charge for search or review.
- All Others
- If you are in this category, you are charged for search and duplication, except that the first 2 hours of search time and the first 100 pages of paper copies are free. There is no charge for review.
FOIA Exemptions
Some documents are protected by the following exemptions:
- Exemption 1 - Matters of National Defense or Foreign Policy
- Exemption 2 - Internal Personnel Rules and Practices
- Exemption 3 - Information Exempted by Other Statutes
- Exemption 4 - Trade Secrets, Commercial or Financial Information (Confidential Business Information)
- Exemption 5 - Privileged Interagency or Intra-agency Memoranda or Letters
- Exemption 6 - Personal Information Affecting an Individual's Privacy
- Exemption 7 - Records Compiled for Law Enforcement Purposes
- Exemption 8 - Records of Financial Institutions
- Exemption 9 - Geological and Geophysical Information Concerning Wells