Several requests have required that over 10,000 pages be reviewed. This usually takes one person six months, although other FOIA-related duties are carried out at the same time. According to antitrust personnel, it takes a minimum of 10 days when a submitter of confidential information needs to be contacted. Antitrust gives submitters two weeks to reply. The FOIA Unit for the Office for the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff found that 28 out of 31 late replies were a result of the necessity of consulting with other agencies concerning records.
All agencies agree that voluminous requests present real problems.
One example is the request for Trident submarine material from the Naval Sea Systems Command of the U.S. Navy which already required a year of processing. The same requester has since made two more massive requests which will effect the same offices now processing the first request.