Food Safety and
Inspection Service

1400 Independence
Avenue, SW.
Washington, D.C.
20250

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

JUL 06 2018
William N. Lawton
Meyer Glitzenstein & Eubanks LLP
4115 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 210
Washington, DC 20016
RE: FOIA-2018-00328

Dear Mr. Lawton:

This is the final response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, dated
May 16, 2018, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS). You requested access to a copy of records relating to the
Implementation of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and the Poultry Products
Inspection Act, from January 1, 2018 to May 16, 2018. We received your request in our
Office on May 16, 2018.

The FSIS FOIA staff works with subject matter experts across the Agency to locate
responsive documents. For this request, we conducted a records search in the Office of
Data Integration and Food Protection. FSIS” search began on May 17, 2018. Our search
includes responsive records in FSIS’ control on that date.

We have located 587 pages that are responsive to your request. After a thorough review,
we have determined that portions of pages fall within the exemptions to the FOIA’s
mandatory disclosure requirements, as explained below. In particular, we have
determined that portions of these documents are exempt from disclosure under (b)(4)
and (b)(6) of the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. § 552, as amended. Accordingly, this request is
granted in part.

Some responsive records constitute confidential commercial or financial information,
which is exempt from disclosure under FOIA Exemption 4, 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(4).
Disclosure of this information may cause substantial competitive harm to the person
from which this information was obtained. Further, disclosure of this information would
impair the government’s ability to obtain necessary information in the future.

Portions of the responsive records are exempt from disclosure under FOIA Exemption 6,
5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6). Exemption 6 protects information that would constitute an
unwarranted invasion of an individual’s personal privacy. The types of information
withheld under Exemption 6 include the names, addresses, or cell phone numbers of
employees of Establishments and third parties, including, but not limited to interviewees
or customers.

You may appeal this determination within 90 days from the date of this letter. Your
appeal should include copies of your original request and this response, as well as a
discussion of the reasons supporting your appeal. The envelope should be plainly
marked to indicate that it contains a FOIA appeal. If you decide to appeal this
determination, please send your appeal to:


William Lawton
Page 2

Paul Kiecker

Acting Administrator

Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 2168, South Building
Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

Please be advised that your FOIA request, including your identity and the information made
available, is releasable to the public under any subsequent FOIA requests. However, FSIS does
not release your personal privacy information, such as home addresses, telephone numbers, or
Social Security Numbers, all of which are protected from disclosure under FOIA Exemption 6.

If you have any questions about the way this request was handled, or about the USDA’s FOIA
regulations, please contact Alison Kilrain at (202)-720-0283 or via email at
Alison.Kilrain@fsis.usda.gov. If you have general questions about FSIS’ FOIA procedures or
regulations, please contact our FOIA Public Liaison, Mark Brook, at 202-690-1787 or via email

at Mark. Brook@fsis.usda.gov.

Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the
National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they
offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information
Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; or facsimile at
202-741-5769.

hank you for your iptérest in FSIS programs and policies.

Director, Freedork of Informption Act Staff
Office of Public Affairs-and Consumer Education
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Enclosure

Be Food Safe:

Nv: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often SEPARATE: Separate Raw
Meats from Other Foods
COOK: Cook To The Right Temperature CHILL: Refrigerate Food Promptly

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer