In March of 2021, the Department of Interior held a virtual forum examining the federal oil and gas leasing program, and invited stakeholders and the public to submit comments and materials in an effort to inform the report.
In April, IADC filed a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) with DOI, asking to view the public comments and materials submitted in regards to the forum. Unfortunately, after several months of delays, DOI responded to IADC’s FOIA with incomplete records that do not satisfy the request or DOI’s obligations under public records laws.
Thus, IADC has filed an appeal with the Department’s FOIA Officer, and is now working with Congressional staff and the FOIA liaison to resolve the situation and obtain complete records as originally requested. As the materials submitted by stakeholders to DOI will be used to inform the agency’s coming recommendations on changes to the federal leasing process, IADC believes it is critical that its members and the public have access to these materials as allowed under law, so that Interior may be held accountable for what it ultimately does or does not recommended in the coming report.
