1610.9—Responses: timing.
(a)
The Legal Counsel's designee, the regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee shall either grant or deny a request for records within 20 working days after receipt of the request unless additional time is required for one of the following reasons:
(1)
It is necessary to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request;
(2)
It is necessary to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records which are demanded in a single request; or
(3)
If it is necessary to consult with another agency having a substantial interest in the determination of the request or among two or more components of the agency having substantial subject-matter interest therein.
(b)
When additional time is required for one of the reasons stated in paragraph (a) of this section the Legal Counsel's designee, the regional attorney, or the regional attorney's designee, shall acknowledge receipt of the request within the 20 day period and include a brief notation of the reason for the delay and an indication of the date on which it is expected that a determination as to disclosure will be forthcoming. If more than 10 working additional days are needed, the requester shall be notified and provided an opportunity to limit the scope of the request or to arrange for an alternate time frame for processing the request.
(c)
(1)
Requests for records may be eligible for expedited processing if the requester demonstrates a compelling need. For the purposes of this section, compelling need means:
(i)
that the failure to obtain the records on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual; or
(ii)
that the requester is a person primarily engaged in disseminating information and there is an urgency to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal government activity.
(2)
A requester who seeks expedited processing must submit a statement, certified to be true and correct to the best of that person's knowledge and belief, explaining in detail the basis for requesting expedited processing. A determination on the request for expedited processing will be made and the requester notified within 10 working days. The Legal Counsel or designee shall promptly respond to any appeal of the denial for expedited processing.