If you want to obtain copies of, or access to, government records (those held in the USACE, Regulatory Branch, Honolulu District) that are not currently available online or through other public access venues, this is where you start.
The government requires you to submit a request for those records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. § 552 (b) and 32 CFR 518). While there is a process, we do take our responsibilities under the FOIA seriously. With your cooperation, we will address your request in a timely manner.
You must submit a written request, which must include the following:
- Your name (first and last)
- Company name (if applicable)
- A valid mailing address (where you receive mail—street, city and ZIP code)
- A telephone number
- A detailed description of the records you are seeking (see Sample FOIA Request Letter)
- i. Agreement to pay fees associated with processing or
ii. A request for a fee waiver (see Fees & Fee Waivers)
- An email address is appreciated but not required. We do not share email addresses. We use them only to aid in effective, expedient communication with you regarding your request.
Regulations require us to classify each requester into one of the following categories: commercial, educational, news/media, or “other.” Our determination of your status will be included in the acknowledgment you will receive after we get your request.
There is always a chance there may be fees associated with processing your request. With the exception of requests made in a commercial capacity, requesters can ask for a fee waiver. However, there are specific elements that any justification for a fee waiver must include before we can take any fee waiver request into consideration (see Fees & Fee Waivers above).
We will not be able to begin processing any request that does not include either your willingness to pay fees or a fee waiver request that includes the proper justification for consideration. Please note that we do not bill for responses which cost $15 or less to prepare and we will always contact you before incurring any bill which may exceed $250. You can indicate you are willing to pay up to a certain amount (example $50) to avoid delays.
Honolulu District is now scanning all documents in .PDF format. If you would like a paper copy, you will need to state that in your request. Once your request is submitted, and includes all the necessary information, you will be sent an acknowledgment letter informing you that your request has been received and is being processed. Whenever possible, an initial determination to release or deny a request is made within 20 working days after receipt of the request. If unusual circumstances exist that preclude a timely response, you will be given an estimated completion date and reason(s) for the delay. A couple examples of unusual circumstances are:
- The need to search for and collect the requested records from other facilities, i.e., field offices.
- The need to search for, collect and examine a voluminous number of documents from different elements of the Honolulu District.
Please note that requests will not be accepted verbally. To request a status update on your FOIA request, please call the Office of Counsel at (808) 835-4428.