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Department of Environmental Protection Public Information Duties Being Shuffled

Posted on: Friday, 4 November 2005, 12:00 CST

By Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

Nov. 4--Industry consultants, lawyers and citizens who want to review state Department of Environmental Protection documents can expect some changes the next time they file a public records request.

Anne Howell, the longtime public information officer who handled most routine DEP file review requests, has retired.

DEP officials plan to fill the opening, but the new hire will not process Freedom of Information Act requests.

Instead, the person who replaces Howell will write stories for the DEP's newsletter, take photos for its Web site, and otherwise help promote the agency.

"There is a lot of news to get out from this agency," said Jessica Greathouse, the DEP's chief communications officer. "We've got stories to cover all over the place, and we're always being asked to go to events and cover them."

The DEP announced the changes in its latest InDepth newsletter, published Wednesday.

"Now that the agency is housed in a consolidated headquarters and information technology is evolving, so is the FOIA process," the newsletter said. Greathouse said part of the changes still need to be approved by DEP Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer and the state's personnel office.

In the newsletter, the DEP said it receives more than 2,000 Freedom of Information Act requests every year. Most requests come not from the media, but from industry consultants, lawyers and citizens.

Previously, Howell processed almost all FOIA requests directed to the DEP. When a request was filed, Howell collected the files and called the requester to schedule a review appointment or made copies and mailed them out.

Under the new procedure, requests will be directed to Greathouse's secretary, Michelle Falquero.

"Once a request is received, Falquero will respond to the requester's letter within five days, giving them a person to contact in the appropriate program office to view the files," the DEP newsletter article said. "Once a requester contacts the program office, they can arrange for a date and time to review the files."

Under state law, the DEP has five days from the receipt of a FOIA request to do one of three things: Provide the requested documents, deny the request, or advise the requester of the time and place at which he or she may inspect and copy the materials.

Greathouse said part of her goal was to have program staff from the water, waste and land restoration divisions get involved in responding to requests for their records. The mining and air divisions already handle many of their own such requests, she noted.

But Greathouse said the new process would require an additional step for citizens. Instead of simply filing their request, citizens will have to make one or more follow-up phone calls to the staffers identified by Falquero.

"They have to make a couple of extra phone calls," Greathouse said. "There isn't going to be any less access to the information. It's just that the means of how they access the information has changed."

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To see more of The Charleston Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wvgazette.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Charleston Gazette

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