Opinion ID: 552329
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Department of State

Text: 42 Appellant submitted his request to State on August 21, 1985. State responded by letter dated September 9, 1985, agreeing to process his request. See Letter to Carl Oglesby from Peter M. Sheils (Sept. 9, 1985), reprinted in J.A. at 52. State then sent a second letter, before appellant filed suit, informing him that no records responsive to his request had been found. See Letter to Carl Oglesby from Josephine Jelenovic (Feb. 13, 1986), reprinted in J.A. at 53. 43 State's letter constituted an adverse determination under 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(a)(6)(A)(i) because appellant did not receive the documents he requested. Under the FOIA, the agency is required to notify the [requester] ... of [the agency's] determination and the reasons therefor, and of the right of such person to appeal to the head of the agency any adverse determination. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(a)(6)(A)(i). A FOIA requester, dissatisfied with the agency's response that no records have been found, may wish to challenge the adequacy of the agency's search. The agency has a duty to notify appellant of the right ... to appeal to the head of the agency, in cases where no records are found in its response as well as those in which specific records are denied. 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(a)(6)(A)(i). 44 State's letter to appellant, however, merely informed him that he could call the agency for further information: If you have any questions, please contact the Information and Privacy Staff. This did not qualify as notice to appellant of his right to appeal the negative reference to his inquiry. Because, then, State did not provide notice of appellant's right to appeal, its response was insufficient under the FOIA to trigger the exhaustion requirement and appellant was free to file suit under 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(a)(6)(C). We therefore reach the merits of his claim. 45 Appellant challenges the reasonableness of State's search because the agency only searched the record system most likely to contain the requested information, 13 the Central Foreign Policy Records (Central Records), i.e., State's centralized record system which contains all documents that establish, discuss, or define foreign policy; set precedents; or require actions used by more than one office. 14 Declaration of Frank M. Machak, reprinted in J.A. at 136, 137. The district court found that State's search was adequate and granted summary judgment based on the agency's affidavit describing its search. Oglesby, Mem. op. at 6-7; J.A. at 272-73. 46 There is no requirement that an agency search every record system. See Meeropol v. Meese, 790 F.2d 942, 952-53 (D.C.Cir.1986) (search is not presumed unreasonable simply because it fails to produce all relevant material); Miller v. United States Department of State, 779 F.2d 1378, 1384-85 (8th Cir.1985) (same); Perry v. Block, 684 F.2d 121, 128 (D.C.Cir.1982) (agency need not demonstrate that all responsive documents were found and that no other relevant documents could possibly exist); Marks v. United States Department of Justice, 578 F.2d 261, 263 (9th Cir.1978) (no requirement that an agency search every division or field office on its own initiative in response to a FOIA request when the agency believes responsive documents are likely to be located in one place). However, the agency cannot limit its search to only one record system if there are others that are likely to turn up the information requested. It is not clear from State's affidavit that the Central Records system is the only possible place that responsive records are likely to be located. At the very least, State was required to explain in its affidavit that no other record system was likely to produce responsive documents. 47 In order to obtain summary judgment the agency must show that it made a good faith effort to conduct a search for the requested records, using methods which can be reasonably expected to produce the information requested. See Weisberg v. United States Department of Justice, 745 F.2d 1476, 1485 (D.C.Cir.1984); Weisberg v. United States Department of Justice, 705 F.2d 1344, 1351 (D.C.Cir.1983); see also Weisberg v. United States Department of Justice, 627 F.2d 365, 371 (D.C.Cir.1980) (agency affidavit must denote which files were searched and reflect a systematic approach to document location in order to enable the appellant to challenge the procedures utilized). State has not satisfied this burden. Its affidavit merely states that [b]ased upon the information contained in Mr. Oglesby's letter, and consistent with customary practice and established procedure, a search was initiated of the Department record system most likely to contain the information which had been requested for the time period 1954-1956, namely, the Central Records. Declaration of Frank M. Machak, reprinted in J.A. at 138. The affidavit does not show, with reasonable detail, that the search method, namely searching the Central Records, was reasonably calculated to uncover all relevant documents. Nor does the affidavit identify the terms searched or explain how the search was conducted. Compare with Affidavit of Robert J. Walsh, Jr., Department of the Army, reprinted in J.A. at 263-65 (affidavit by the Army showing the topics searched and the type of search performed, for example a name only index and master name index, and what those indices contain). A reasonably detailed affidavit, setting forth the search terms and the type of search performed, and averring that all files likely to contain responsive materials (if such records exist) were searched, is necessary to afford a FOIA requester an opportunity to challenge the adequacy of the search and to allow the district court to determine if the search was adequate in order to grant summary judgment. 48 Because State's affidavit did not adequately describe the agency's search, summary judgment on the adequacy of the search was improper. Accordingly, we vacate the district court's order dismissing appellant's claim against State and remand to the district court. On remand, the district court may order State to submit a reasonably detailed affidavit upon which the reasonableness of its search can be judged.