"The Interior Department has removed heavily criticized language from the final version of its public records rule that some worried would give officials too much leniency in withholding documents.

The final iteration of the department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulation issued Friday removes several proposed language changes that government watchdog groups argued would place an unlawful burden on public records seekers and offered the agency broader authority to reject requests that didn’t fit the more narrow request format.

For instance, a section of the finalized rule no longer lists the additional specification to “reasonably describe” the records sought: “identify the discrete, identifiable agency activity, operation, or program in which you are interested.”

Interior first submitted the draft FOIA regulatory changes in January during the government shutdown."

Miranda Green reports for The Hill October 25, 2019. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Interior Department Walks Back Controversial FOIA Changes" (Mountain West News Bureau) [3]

"Interior Issues FOIA Rule That Draws Bipartisan Senate Praise" (Bloomberg Environment $$) [4]