Home / About / FOIA

Contact

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Portland District Office of Counsel
Attn: FOIA Officer, CENWP-OC
333 SW First Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

E-mail: foia-nwp@usace.army.mil
Phone: (503) 260-0669
Fax: (503) 808-4526

Frequently Asked Questions

Collapse All Expand All
 What is an agency record?
Any books, papers, maps, photographs, machine readable materials, or other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics that are (1) either created or obtained by an agency, and (2) under agency control at the time of the FOIA request.
 What is a proper request?
To be considered proper, a request must include:
  1. your full name (first and last), including company or organization (if applicable);
  2. Email address;
  3. telephone number;
  4. complete description of records sought; and
  5. an expressed willingness to pay reasonable fees.
 Are there any fees?
There is no initial fee to make a FOIA request and in many cases no fees are charged. However, we are authorized by law to recover the direct costs of providing information to a FOIA requester. For a complete explanation of fee and fee waver matters, go to the Headquarters FOIA Page.
 Do I qualify for a fee waiver?
If you expect or are advised that a fee will be charged, you may request a fee waiver for those fees. Please note that fee waivers are limited to situations in which a requester can show that disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of Corps operations and activities and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.
 Can my request be expedited?
Receiving expedited processing requires a statement asserting one of the following conditions apply:
  • Failure to obtain the records quickly could be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual;
  • Information is urgently needed by an individual primarily engaged in disseminating information in order to inform the public concerning actual or alleged federal government activity; or
  • Imminent loss of substantial due process rights.
 How do I appeal a FOIA response?
If you are not satisfied with the response to your FOIA request, you may administratively appeal through this office to the Office of the Army General Counsel. Your appeal must be electronically transmitted or postmarked within 90 calendar days of the date of the response. Please contact the FOIA Officer immediately.

Requesting Government Records - Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement exclusions. While the FOIA aims to provide an open door to the general public in its ability to access Government records, some are exempt from release if doing so would compromise Government security, personal privacy, law enforcement, and/or other legal issues.

Once a proper FOIA request is received, the FOIA Officer has 20 working days to respond (as required by the FOIA.) This requirement ensures that requests are not forgotten and are processed efficiently.

Submitting a FOIA Request

To submit a FOIA request, please complete the FOIA Request Form and e-mail it to the FOIA Officer directly at foia-nwp@usace.army.mil.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the FOIA process or a specific request, please e-mail the FOIA Officer or use the website contact form below.