Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

• DOI FOIA Website  
• DOJ FOIA Website  
• DOI Search and Review Fees
• DOI FOIA Library
• Office of Natural Resources Revenue

• 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

• BOEM Newsroom Library
• Deepwater Horizon Library and Reading Room
• Electronic Library of Interior Policies (ELIPS)
• BOEM FOIA Logs
  • FY 2023 - available via FOIAOnline
  • FY 2022 - available via FOIAOnline
  • FY 2021 - available via FOIAOnline
  • FY 2020 - available via FOIAOnline
  • FY 2020 (through 7/31/2020)
  • FY 2019
  • FY 2018
  • FY 2017
  • FY 2016
  • FY 2015
  • FY 2014

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