FOIA Appeal 

Freedom of Informaiton Act (FOIA) Appeal; Appeal Denied; Adequacy of Search

On March 20, 2020, the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) denied  a  Freedom  of  Information Act (FOIA) Appeal filed by Ron Walli (Appellant)  from  a  final  determination  issued by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office  (ORO).  This  matter  had  previously been remanded in the case Ron Walli, OHA  Case  No.  FIA-20-0018 (2020)  (Walli).  In  that  case, OHA directed that  "ORO determine  what  type  of  search  [the]  OGC  conducted  and, depending on its findings, to conduct further processing of the Appellant's FOIA request."

On March 6, 2020, ORO issued a  second  Determination  Letter  in  response  to  the  instructions provided in Walli. This Determination Letter states OGC  "performed searches of its internal files, which are maintained electronically via a cloud-based filing system, working hardcopy files" and the e-mail accounts of two different attorneys for the phrase "Fairness of Opportunity" within the period beginning November 1, 2016 and ending January 30, 2017.

The Appellant filed an appeal within the allotted time, challenging the adequacy of the search. Given the description of the searches conducted by OGC, including  the  locations  of  the  searches, we believe the search was reasonably calculated to discover responsive  documents should they have existed. Accordingly, the Appellant's appeal was denied. OHA Case No. FIA-20-0021.

Personnel Security Hearing 

Personnel Security; Access Authorization Restored; Guideline G (Alcohol Consumption), Guideline J (Criminal Conduct)

On March 16, 2020, an Administrative Judge determined  that  an  individual's  access  authorization under 10 C.F.R. Part 710 should be restored. The Individual  is  employed  by  a  DOE contractor in a position that requires him to hold a DOE security clearance. On two  occasions, each for a separate incident, the Individual reported  to  the  local  security  office  ( LSO) that he had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Consequently, the     LSO referred the Individual for psychological evaluation, and the psychologist determined the Individual met the criteria for  Alcohol  Use  Disorder,  Moderate,  and  provided  recommendations for rehabilitation or reformation. The LSO subsequently suspended the Individual's security clearance due to concerns arising from the Individual's  diagnoses  and  alcohol use, his alcohol-related criminal offenses, and his past  arrest  and  criminal  history.  During the hearing, the Administrative Judge found that the Individual had mitigated  the  Guideline G concerns because, among other reasons, he had abstained from alcohol for over           a year as  recommended  by  the  diagnosing  psychologist,  acknowledged  his  maladaptive alcohol use, successfully completed an in-patient treatment  program,  actively  participated  in  AA, and  developed  a  supportive  network.  The  Administrative  Judge  also  found  the Individual had mitigated the Guideline J concerns because the Individual had resolved the underlying issues with alcohol consumption and, for the other non-alcohol related instances of criminal conduct, demonstrated sufficient time  had  passed  without  recurrence  of  the  concerning  behavior.  As  such,  the  Administrative  Judge  concluded  that  the  Individual's access  authorization  should  be  restored.  OHA  Case   No.   PSH-20-0018 (James   P.   Thompson III).