Public Access to Records

The Commission will make the fullest possible disclosure of records to the public, consistent with:

• the rights of individuals to privacy;
  
  
• the property rights of persons in trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information; and
  
  
• the need for the Commission to promote frank internal policy deliberations and to pursue its regulatory activities without disruption.

Regulations Re: Public Access to Records

• DRBC's regulations concerning public access to records comprise Article 8 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure (RPP; pdf).

Click Here to Submit your Records Request

Next Steps

• The Commission’s Public Records Officer (Elba.Deck@drbc.gov) will respond accordingly.
  
  
• The Public Records Officer will contact you within 10 working days to advise you:
  
  
  • that the requested documents are being furnished, along with an approximate date by which you can expect to receive them; or
    
    
  • that in the event any part of the request is being denied, the extent to which the request is being denied and the reasons for the denial; and
    
    
  • of anticipated costs, if any, associated with responding to the request.

Please Note

• If your request is very broad, you may be asked to narrow it.
  
  
• The public access provisions of Article 8 of the RPP (linked above) apply to existing records; the Commission is not required to prepare new records in order to respond to a request for information.

• If you have asked to review files in person, please contact the Commission at (609) 883-9500 to schedule an appointment for your review.
  
  
• Appointments are generally scheduled between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

• For black & white photocopies, the Commission charges $0.15 per printed page (i.e., $0.30 for a double-sided copy).
  
  
• For color copies, the charge is $1.00 per 8.5" x 11" page, $1.50 per 8.5" x 14" page, $2.00 per 11" x 17" page, and $2.50 per square foot for larger documents.

• Charges for copying records maintained in electronic format will be equal to the material and administrative (labor) costs involved.

• An administrative fee will be applied for time in excess of a quarter of an hour required to respond to a request.
  
  
• Requesters that do not reschedule or cancel appointments to view files at least one full business day in advance of the appointment may be subject to the administrative charges incurred by the Commission in preparing the requested records.

• The Public Records Officer may require a deposit or payment in advance when a large volume of copying is requested, when high administrative costs are anticipated, or when photocopying is to be performed off-site.

• Requesters may not photocopy materials themselves. This task must be performed by DRBC personnel or by an outside provider selected by DRBC. 
  
  
• In the case of requests for copies of documents reviewed on-site, the reviewer will be asked to flag the documents for which copies are requested. With few exceptions, copies will not be made on demand during a review. Rather, copies will be mailed or arrangements made for picking them up at a later date to allow time for staff or an outside service to create them.

• Internal agency rules and practices.
  
  
• Information that is prohibited from disclosure by another law.
  
  
• Trade secrets and other confidential business information.
  
  
• Inter-agency or intra-agency communications other than purely factual compilations, which are part of a deliberative process, including:
  
  
  • Non-formal communication between DRBC staff and/or the staff of agencies of the signatory parties.
    
    
  • Documents related to the settlement of a legal dispute.
    
    
• Information involving matters of personal privacy.
  
  
• Certain information compiled for law enforcement purposes.

Please Note

In addition, identification and intended uses of materials may be requested prior to disclosure of geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells, intake structures and discharge points.