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This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2021. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

Laws & Regulations

Summary of the Freedom of Information Act

5 USC §552 et seq. (1966)

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records. All federal agencies, including EPA, are required to make requested records available unless the records are protected from disclosure by one of nine FOIA exemptions contained in the statute.

The FOIA applies only to federal agencies. It does not apply to records held by Congress, the courts, or by state or local government agencies. Each state has its own public access laws that should be consulted for access to state and local records.

More Information

EPA's National FOIA Office is located in Washington, D.C. FOIA Online Libraries offer information to interested parties.