Records relating to WHS controls for employees undertaking work with depleted uranium.
Dear Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation,
Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) I request all records relating to the WHS hierarchy of controls used for employees working with depleted uranium. Please also provide all records that detail the biological monitoring of these employees.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Tremblay
Dear Mr Tremblay
We acknowledge receipt of your FOI request below dated 15 May 2023. The 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after it was received. You should therefore expect a decision from us by 14 June 2023. The period of 30 days may be extended if we need to consult third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
Kind regards
FOI Administrator
OFFICIAL
Dear Mr Tremblay
I am writing to tell you that the FOI decision maker intends to refuse your request on the basis that a practical refusal reason exists. However, before the decision maker makes a final decision in this regard, you have an opportunity to revise your request to remove the practical refusal reason. This is called a 'request consultation process'. You have 14 days to respond to the attached notice.
Gemma Larkins
Senior Lawyer
[ANSTO request email]
OFFICIAL
Dear Freedom of Information Requests,
Thank you for your reply regarding my request, stating that a “practical refusal reason” under section 24AA of the FOI Act is considered to exist.
For this reason, I wish to reduce and revise the scope of my request. Please, reduce my request to records between January 2002 until January 2006 only.
Please, also further decrease the scope of my request to your entities records relating to any system of health surveillance, if any, of scientists working with depleted uranium during this period.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Tremblay
Our reference: RQ23/03738
Agency reference: LEX 6537
Mike Temblay
By email: [FOI #10307 email]
Extension of time application by the Australian Nuclear Science and
Technology Organisation
Dear Mr Temblay
I write to advise that on 27 June 2023 the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (the OAIC) received an application from the
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (the ANSTO) for an
extension of time, to process your FOI request of 15 May 2023.
The ANSTO has applied for further time to deal with your request under s
15AC of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) because the FOI Act
deems that the ANSTO has refused your request, as the initial decision
period for your request has ended and the ANSTO has not provided you with
notice of a decision.
Please find attached a copy of the ANSTO’s reasons for its application.
The ANSTO has requested an extension to 24 July 2023. A decision maker at
the OAIC will take any comments you may have to make into account when
deciding the application.
Please respond to this email by close of business 30 June 2023. If we do
not hear from you by this date, the decision maker at the OAIC will make a
decision on the basis of the information provided to the OAIC by the
ANSTO.
You will be notified of the decision once the matter has been finalised.
Further information about extension of time requests may be found on our
website at [1]Extensions of time.
Contact
If you have any questions about this email, please contact me on 1300 363
992 or at [2][email address]. Please quote OAIC reference: RQ23/03738 in
all correspondence.
Kind regards
Bernie Lai
[3][IMG] Bernie Lai <he/him>
Assistant Director | Freedom of Information Branch
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288 Sydney NSW 2001
P 1300 363 992 E [4][email address]
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Our reference: RQ23/03738
Agency reference: LEX 6537
Mr Mike Temblay
By email: [1][FOI #10307 email]
CC: [2][ANSTO request email]
Extension of time under s 15AC
Dear Mr Temblay
Please find attached an FOI Extension of time decision relating to your
FOI request with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation. A copy of this decision has been provided to the ANSTO
today.
Kind regards,
Thomas Hanaee
[3][IMG] Assistant Review Adviser
Freedom of Information Regulatory Group
Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner
GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 |
[4]oaic.gov.au
1300 363 992 | [5][email address]
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Notice:
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disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
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Dear Mr Temblay
I refer to the revised scope of your FOI request in your email dated 22 June 2023 and the extension provided by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner until 24 July 2023 to process your request.
The scope has changed from an unlimited period to a 4-year period between 2002 - 2006.
Due to the historical date range selected there will be significant work required to review historic paper records to determine whether any scientists may have worked with depleted uranium in the revised date range and whether any of these staff had health monitoring during this period. If health monitoring had been required, specific testing of individuals would be retained in their personal medical files.
During the revised date range ANSTO had an on -site occupational doctor who would exercise medical judgement with respect to health monitoring.
To avoid a practical refusal, please confirm by Monday 17 July 2023 whether you agree to the following scope reduction:
'For the period from 1 January 2002 to 1 January 2006, any health centre or WHS procedure documents such as instructions, policies, processes relating to health surveillance of scientists working with depleted uranium. Excluding correspondence such as emails, letters, file notes and experiment specific records relating to health surveillance and the actual health surveillance records.'
Kind regards
Gemma Larkins
[email address]
OFFICIAL
Dear Freedom of Information Requests ANSTO
In relation to the email of 13 July 2023 as described by Ms Larkins, I am happy to proceed with her suggested revised application.
Yours sincerely,
Mike Tremblay
Dear Mike
Thanks for your revised scope.
Since the time period for responding to your FOI request has lapsed, please confirm whether you agree to:
(a) withdrawing your FOI request dated 15 May 2023
(b) Treating your revised request dated 23 July 2023 as a new request for:
'For the period from 1 January 2002 to 1 January 2006, any health centre or WHS procedure documents such as instructions, policies, processes relating to health surveillance of scientists working with depleted uranium. Excluding correspondence such as emails, letters, file notes and experiment specific records relating to health surveillance and the actual health surveillance records.'
Thanks
Gemma Larkins
OFFICIAL
Dear Mike
Please find attached a decision dated 17 August 2023 in response to your FOI request dated 15 May 2023 as revised on 23 July 2023.
Kind regards
FOI Administration
OFFICIAL