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Case TitleHarper v. Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers
DistrictSouthern District of Ohio
CityColumbus
Case Number2:2014cv00986
Date Filed2014-07-25
Date Closed2015-09-01
JudgeMagistrate Judge Norah McCann King
PlaintiffLeatra Harper
Case DescriptionLeatra Harper, a citizen advocate working with the Fresh Water Accountability Project, submitted a FOIA request to the Huntington District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for records concerning the agency's involvement in leasing mineral rights to the Muskingham Watershed Conservancy District for use in fracking operations. The agency told Harper that it was withholding the majority of the 200 responsive pages under Exemption 5 (privileges). Harper appealed the agency's decision, which was upheld. She then filed suit.
Complaint issues: Exemption 5 - Privileges

DefendantDepartment of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers
AppealSixth Circuit 15-4047
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Opinion/Order [13]
Opinion/Order [25]
FOIA Project Annotation: A federal court in Ohio has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properly withheld 200 pages of records pertaining to discussions between the agency's Huntington office and the State of Ohio's Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District concerning potential consequences of hydrofracking on dam and levee safety under Exemption 5 (deliberative process privilege). Leatra Harper, representing a local coalition called Southeast Ohio Alliance to Save Our Water, requested records concerning the decision that a full 216 study was not required as the result of proposed water withdrawals from the MWCD as a result of potential hydrofracking activities. When the Corps of Engineers withheld many of the records under Exemption 5, the coalition filed suit. The coalition argued that because MWCD might take an adversarial position to that of the Corps of Engineers the records did not qualify as privileged. But the court concluded the federal and state agencies' interests were aligned for the purposes of claiming the deliberative process privilege. The court noted that "the USACE and the MWCD are jointly responsible for the administration of the Muskingum Watershed. The USACE, the federal agency charged with formulating national policy regarding the impact of hydrofracking on dam and levee safety, has consulted with MWCD in connection with terms governing oil and gas exploration leases on land deeded to MWCD and, as part of the process of formulating that national policy, the federal agency relies on information generated by MWCD in connection with its leases." The coalition argued that granting oil and gas exploration leases might cause the land to revert back to the United States. The court pointed out that "plaintiff's contentions with regard to the 'reverter clause' are insufficient to establish that the USACE and MWCD occupy adversarial positions such as to foreclose invocation of the inter- or intra-agency exemption under FOIA. Although a truly adversarial relationship may render the exemption inapplicable, plaintiff has offered no evidence that the United States has ever sought to invoke the 'reverter clause' or has otherwise expressed any opinion that the activities of MWCD over the years have been inconsistent with the purposes for which property was deeded to MWCD." The court then found the records were both predecisional and deliberative. The court observed that the agency's "assertions are sufficient to establish that the withheld documents relate to the USACE's formulation of national policy pertaining to the effect of hydrofracking on dam safety, a process that remaining on-going."
Issues: Exemption 5 - Consultant privilege
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2014-07-251COMPLAINT against Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers ( Filing fee $ 400 paid - receipt number: 0648-4662972), filed by Leatra Harper. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit FOIA REquest Sent June 23, 2012, # 2 Exhibit Sept. 11, 2012 response to FOIA request, # 3 Exhibit Appeal from Sept. 11, 2012 denial of FOIA, # 4 Exhibit Feb. 11, 2014 response to appeal, # 5 Summons Form to Dept. of the Army, # 6 Civil Cover Sheet) (Allen, Alyssa) Modified on 7/28/2014 to correct text (kk2) (Entered: 07/25/2014)
2014-07-252MOTION to Compel the Preparation of a Vaughn Index by Plaintiff Leatra Harper. (Allen, Alyssa) (Entered: 07/25/2014)
2014-07-283NOTICE of Non-Issuance of Summons by Clerk of Southern District of Ohio (Attachments: # 1 Summons Form) (kk2) (Entered: 07/28/2014)
2014-07-284COMPLAINT against against Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers filed by Leatra Harper. (Attachments: # 1 Summons Form Summons with address, # 2 Exhibit FOIA Request sent June 23, 2012, # 3 Exhibit Sept. 11, 2012 Response to FOIA request, # 4 Exhibit Appeal from Sept. 11, 2012 denial, # 5 Exhibit Feb. 11, 2014 response to appeal) (Allen, Alyssa) Modified on 7/28/2014 to correct text (kk2) (Entered: 07/28/2014)
2014-07-285Summons Issued as to Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers (kk2) (Entered: 07/28/2014)
2014-10-066STIPULATION as to Defendant's Time to Answer or Otherwise Plead by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 10/06/2014)
2014-10-107NOTICE of Hearing:Preliminary Pretrial Conference set for 10/29/2014 01:45 PM before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. (jr1) (Entered: 10/10/2014)
2014-10-238RULE 26(f) REPORT by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 10/23/2014)
2014-10-239ORDER OF CONSENT to Jurisdiction by US Magistrate Judge. Case reassigned to Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Signed by Judge Gregory L Frost on 10/23/14. (kn) (Entered: 10/23/2014)
2014-10-29Minute Entry for proceedings held before Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King: Initial Pretrial Conference held on 10/29/2014. (nmk0) (Entered: 10/29/2014)
2014-10-2910PRELIMINARY PRETRIAL ORDER: Motions to Amend due by 12/31/2014. Dispositive motions due by 4/3/2015. Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers answer due 11/4/2014. Responses to 2 MOTION to Compel the Preparation of a Vaughn Index due by 11/4/2014. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 10/29/2014. (pes1) (Entered: 10/29/2014)
2014-11-0311RESPONSE in Opposition re 2 MOTION to Compel the Preparation of a Vaughn Index filed by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 11/03/2014)
2014-11-0412ANSWER to 1 Complaint,, filed by Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 11/04/2014)
2014-11-2413OPINION AND ORDER denying 2 Motion to Compel Preparation of a Vaughn Index. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 11/24/2014. (pes1) (Entered: 11/24/2014)
2015-03-3114Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time New date requested 4/17/2015. to File Dispositive Motions by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order) (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 03/31/2015)
2015-03-3115ORDER granting 14 Motion for Extension of Time to file dispositive motions. Dispositive motions due by 04/17/2015. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 03/31/2015. (sr1) (Entered: 03/31/2015)
2015-03-31Set/Reset Columbus PPTO Deadlines: Dispositive motions due by 4/17/2015. (sr1) (Entered: 03/31/2015)
2015-04-1516MOTION for Extension of Time New date requested 4/24/2015. to file Dispositive Motions by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order) (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 04/15/2015)
2015-04-1517ORDER granting 16 Motion for Extension of Time, until 4/24/15, for the parties to file Dispositive Motions. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 4/15/15. (sem) (Entered: 04/15/2015)
2015-04-15Set/Reset Columbus PPTO Deadlines: Dispositive motions now due by 4/24/2015. (sem) (Entered: 04/15/2015)
2015-04-2418MOTION for Summary Judgment by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. Responses due by 5/18/2015 (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B) (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 04/24/2015)
2015-05-1419First MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 18 MOTION for Summary Judgment New date requested 6/1/2015. by Plaintiff Leatra Harper. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order) (Allen, Alyssa) (Entered: 05/14/2015)
2015-05-1420ORDER granting 19 Motion for Extension of Time to File Response re 18 MOTION for Summary Judgment. Responses due by 6/1/2015. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 5/14/2015. (pes) (Entered: 05/14/2015)
2015-06-0121RESPONSE in Opposition re 18 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Plaintiff Leatra Harper. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1980 Inter-Office Memo on Reverter Clause) (Allen, Alyssa) (Entered: 06/01/2015)
2015-06-1222Unopposed MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to 21 Response in Opposition to Motion New date requested 6/22/2015. by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 06/12/2015)
2015-06-1223ORDER granting 22 Motion for Extension of Time to File Reply re 18 MOTION for Summary Judgment. Replies due by 6/22/2015. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 6/12/2015. (pes) (Entered: 06/12/2015)
2015-06-2224REPLY to Response to Motion re 18 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Department of the Army Huntington District, Corps of Engineers. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A) (Sanders, Deborah) (Entered: 06/22/2015)
2015-09-0125OPINION AND ORDER granting 18 Motion for Summary Judgment. Signed by Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King on 8/31/2015. (pes) (Entered: 09/01/2015)
2015-09-0126CLERK'S JUDGMENT. (pes) (Entered: 09/01/2015)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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