On December 22, 2022, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) denied the Freedom of Information (FOIA) Appeal filed by Saurabh Dixit (Appellant) from a final determination letter issued by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge Office (ORO). On Appeal, the Appellant argued that the agency did not conduct an adequate search in response to his request.
The Appellant argued that the agency did not respond completely to his request and did not conduct an adequate search. In the final determination letter ORO explained that Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) directed the Appellant's inquiry to the appropriate offices in their organization . These offices looked in a publicly available database and found no records. They then explained that PNNL would not have any responsive records because they do not generate or maintain records of the type the Appellant was seeking. Therefore, the search was appropriate. (OHA Case No. FIA-23- 0005}