FOIA Request May Cost City Over $18K

Could this be another funding method for the FAA? The city of Myrtle Beach, SC wants to know why the agency decided to place a new radar for the airport closer to the beach... but it's gonna cost them.

The city’s government is concerned about the impact of that radar tower on oceanfront development. The FAA didn’t consult with the city when it made its decision... and that really steamed city planners.

About that funding? Well, when the city asked to see documents used to make the decision... the FAA said it’d cost $18,500 for the documents.

Turns out the FAA charges by the hour to gather documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In this case, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News, the agency thinks it’ll take 312 hours to find the 5000 or so pages.

The FAA charges different rates depending on who’s asking info. Myrtle Beach says its FOIA request came from a lawyer representing the city and was classified as commercial request, instead of governmental.

The cost for a government FOIA is much lower. A similar request filed on behalf of nearby Horry County wound up costing around $300.

The FAA says it has to review the case before it decides to whether or not to reclassify the request.

"We frequently have conversations with people about how those costs might be reduced," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said. "Until [city officials] talk to us about exactly what their concerns about the costs were and ways we might be able to reduce them, I think it's hard to tell that right now."

Which just goes to show... freedom (of information) isn't free.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.usdoj.gov/oip/index.html