What kinds of records can CDC/ATSDR withhold?
FOIA has 9 exemptions (categories of records that an agency is allowed to or must withhold from release). Records withheld by CDC/ATSDR usually fall into the following categories: Records whose release would result in a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy Records containing confidential business information Inter- or intra-agency records of a predecisional nature, which typically contain the opinions, conclusions, or recommendations of the author(s) and are part of the decision-making or policy-making process of the agency Records whose release is prohibited by a law other than FOIA See the Department’s implementing regulations at 45 CFR Part 5 at the end of this document for a complete list of the exemptions. How do I know if CDC/ATSDR has withheld records from me? The FOIA Office will tell you in its response letter if records or parts of records you requested have been withheld and which exemptions apply. What if I think CDC/ATSDR has withheld records and should not have? If CDC
