ML20211G496

Responds to Appeal of Denial of FOIA Request for Documents Consisting of Investigatory Records Compiled for Law Enforcement Purposes.Documents Will Continue to Be Withheld (Ref FOIA Exemption 7).Ltr Represents Final Agency Action

ML20211G496
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/19/1987
From:	Chilk S NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
To:	Garde B GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT
References
FOIA-86-736, FOIA-86-A-234 NUDOCS 8702250402
Download: ML20211G496 (1)

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UNITED STATES 8'

• 'n NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h

WASHIN GTON. D.C. 20555

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OFFKE OF THE February 19, 1987 SECRETARY Ms. Billie Pirner Garde Government Accountability Project Midwest Office 3424 Marcos Lane IN RESPONSE REFER Appleton, Wisconsin 54911 TO 86-A-234(86-736)

Dear Ms. Garde:

This letter responds to your December 7,1986 appeal of the denial of documents in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's December 3, 1986 response to F0IA 86-736.

The records withheld were withheld pursuant to Exemption (7)(A) of the F0IA, 5 U.S.C. 5 552(b)(7)(A), and 10 C.F.R. 6 9.5(a)(7)(1) of the Commission's regulations. The withheld information consists of " investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes," the disclosure of which would

" interfere with enforcement proceedings." See NLRB v. Robbins Tire and Rubber Company, 437 U.S. 214, 222-23 (1978). Release of this information could allow those being investigated to learn the scope, direction and focus of investigatory efforts, and could possibly allow them to take action to shield potential wrongdoing or a violation of NRC requirements from investigators.

The investigation of Mr. Thompson's concerns is still ongoing. Therefore, the withheld documents must continue to be withheld under Exemption (7)(A).

This letter represents final agency action on your December 7,1986 F0IA appeal. Judicial review of the denial of documents is available in Federal District Court in the district which you reside or have your principle place of business, or in the District of Columbia.

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PART l.-RECORDS RELEASEO OR NOT LOCATED ISee checaed bones}

l No agency records out1ect to the request have been located.

No addhtsonal agency records subrect to the request have been located.

Agency recorda subrect to the request that are Wetsf.ed e Appendia are already avadable for putAc nspection and coppng in the NRC Pm Document Roor-1717 H Street. N W., WaaNngton, DC.

Agency records subpoet to the request that are ident:6ed in Appendia are being made avadable for public inspectson and copyin0 n the NRC Put$c Docur=w i

Roorn.1717 H Speet, N W, Washington, DC, in a folder under the FDIA number and roovester name The nonpropretary we'sen of the proposailst that you ag'oed to accept in a to'ephone conve'saten wth a member of my staff a now becg made avalable for put$c inopsc a and coyeg at the NRC Pubhc Occument Room,1717 H Street. N W. Wuh.ngton. OC. m a fo6 der under the FOtA number and requemer name.

may obtain access to and the cParges for cocymg records piaced e the NRC Put*c Document Room.1717 H Stroot N W., Washegtor. &

Enclosed e eformaten on how you Agency records sut,ect to the request s's enciesed Any applicable cha<ge for copes of the 'ecords provided and payment procedures are noted en the comrnents section Records subact to the request have been re er'ed to a%ther Federal agencybest for reve* and direct respoese to you.

r in vow of NRC's resporse to the rea est. eo fu ther asten a be.ng taken on appea! letw da od r

PART ll.A-INFORM ATION WITHHELD FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE Certaa informaten e tre roovested reco'ds

• teep *'thheld from pubi.c doctosure pu'suant to the FotA enestees desenbod in and for the reasono stated a Part if, sec-tone 8, C. and D. Any re. eased porters of the docurnects for wk.ch onh part of the record a be.ng wrthbeid are oeng made available for pubesc anspecten and copyme e the NRC Publ.C Document Room,1717 H Street. N W.. Washington. OC, in a folder under the FOIA number and requester name.

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DATE PAi.T 118-APPLICABLE FOfa EXEMPTIONS e

Reco ds sut)fect to the request that are described in the enclosed Appendices --

._ are being ethheld in their entirety or an part under FOIA Esempt. orts and for the reasons set forth below pursuant to 5 U.S C 552(b) and 10 CFR 9 5(a) of NRC Regulations.

d info'maten e property classs'ed pu svant to Esecutive Order 12356 IEREMPTION 11

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2 The septftgid informagon refales sole 8y to tre enternal personnel rules and procedu es of NRC (DEMPTION 21 r

) The art *.heid informaDon a scecffically esempted from pubieC d$ closure by statute ed*Cated IDEMPTION 31 Section 141 145of the Atomse Energy Act ab.ch prohbts the dsclosure of Restricted care or Formerfy Restrcted Data +42 U S C 2161-2166L Secuan 147 of the Atomic Energy Act wesch prohbts the disclosu e of Unclassef ed Sa'eguards informaten (42 U $ C. 2167).

r a The wrthheid informanon e a trade secret or commercel or feancas eformation that a beeg withhead for the reason (si ind.cated. 4 EXEMPTION 4)

The e, formation a cons.de ed to be coef. dent.al bus. ness foroprietaryr eformation.

The erformation e Consdered to be procr. eta') eformation pursuant to to CFR 2 790.dnti.

The rformation was sn.DerWi*ed ar'd rece ved en Confidence from a forerge source purs.aert to 10 CFR 2 790id:i21 5 The a'Meid 'O'0'maten cornsts of.ete a;eacy cr et'aa;ency records tnat are not amadable through decovery dureg istgaten. Osclosu e of predecsonal eformater r

mio pd to ebbt the open and frart eacPange of ideas essential to the dehterative process Where records are authheld e these enterety, the facts are centricabh eso,rtweed with De odecseralinformaten The'e also are no reasonably segregabie factual portsons because the release of the facts would permet an

,o ecs equery into t predecserai process of the agency IEXEMPTION 6 The ehedd informaten e esempted from pubisc disclosu e because its d'scicture *ou6d result in a clearly unwa" anted evas.on of personal prevacy rDEVPTION 61 r

7 The w,t%eid inforrraten coessts of invest gatory records cornpded for law enforcemeet pu poses and a being netf+ eld for the reason (si mdscated #DEMPTION 76 r

Descar,,su e would intedere with an enforcement proceedeg because it could reveal the scope. d*recten, and focus of enforcement eMorts and thus could r

possapey anow them to take action to sneld potert.a! wrongdoseg or a volation of NRC reos.reents from evestgators aDEMPTION 7(A))

f O,sciosu e would constnute an uenstraated invason of personal privacy IDEMPTION 7tCn r

The eformaten cors4ts of names of edividuais and other informaron the d'sclosu e of wa.ch wow re, eat oe t,oes of confv.:entet sources IDEMPTION FiOlt r

PART 10 C -DENYING OFFICI ALS Pursuant to 10 CFR 9 9 and or 915of the U S Nuclear Regulatory Commsson regulaiens. t has been determeed that trw irformaten *.tveid e esempt from producten or descios e and that ses production o' discloswo e cocerarv to the pubhc eterest The persons responsible for the den.at are those off.ce6s edentsfed beio* as denying off.c.ais and the Direc ce

% og Ruse., and Records. OMca or Admestraten, for any deniais that may be acpeared to the Esecunve Director 'or Operauons EDo, i

DENYING OFFICIAL TsTLE, OF FICE RECORDS DEN'ED APPELLATE OFFICIAL

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PART ft D-APPEAL RIGHTS The denial by each denysq offoolident#ed in Part II.C rnay be appested to the Appeltate Official identified in that section. Any such appeal must be in.

mieng and rnust be rnade nethn Edays of receipt of this response. Appeals must be addressed as appropriate to the Executive Director for Operations or to the Sec.retary of the ComrneseR.U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20565, and should clearfy state on the envelope and in the letter l

that at is an " Appeal frorn an W FOIA Dech" senc Fonaa as4 (Pert a U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIS$l3 FOIA RESPONSE CONTINUATION

Appendix A FOIA 86-736 Documents-Being Placed in the POR 1.

Undated Document Serial List (1 page) 2.

09/29/86 Routing Sheet for Exempt Material (1 page) 3.

10/06/86 Cross-Reference Sheet (1 page) 4.

10/08/86 Routing Sheet for Exempt Material (1 page) 5.

Undated Document Serial List (1 page)

RE: F01A-86-736 APPENDIX B Documents Being Withheld 1.

Records in the Office of Inspector and Auditor's files regarding Mr. Sam Thompson's concerns are being withheld pursuant to Exemption 7(A).

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We are requesting this information as part of an ongoing a.onitoring project of the NRC's efforts to protect publi c r.eal th and safety at and near nuclear proce.cing piants and r aiuscLive 6aste facilities.

For any documents or portions tnat you deny due to a s pe c i fi c FOI.; u::en.p -l o n, please provide an ir.cua i t en.1 :: I ng u..

describing the docua.ents or portions of do c er. e n t s wi t h r.e l a.

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index shoulc provice a detailed justificatian cf your roun ; tor a

clain.ing each c:: em p t i o n, e::plai r.ing why aact. e. e a.p t. l c n i t, relevant to the document or portion of t i. ! co c un.e ri t -Atriheld.

Trils i nde :: is required under W u.1hn s. Roten (1), 454 F2a EhG (D.C. Cir. 19T s, cert, denleo, 415 U.S.

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We l o ol. forward to your resfonte to this request w i t t, a ten wo ri.:i ng days.

'dAncerely, Li nda Baun.are F01A Coordinator Midwest Off.:e Responses to tr.is request should be mailed to Government Accountability Project Mid-West Office 3424 N. Marcos Lane Appleton, Wisconsin 54911