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<DIV>I recently posted to "Participants of DEA National Take-Back Initiatives" asking what data DEA collected. </DIV>
<DIV>The six responses I received (FL, MA, NY, UT, VA, & WA) were included in a FOIL appeal contesting the DEA claim of not having the requested data (see below.)<BR></DIV>
<DIV>If you ran a collection, I'd be happy to include your additional information in this appeal. </DIV>
<DIV>1. Did the DEA require that you report any data to them? The number of pounds collected? The number of participants? Other? </DIV>
<DIV> 1A. If you were involved in more that one collection location, did they require separate data from each or only a total from all sites? </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> 1B. If the DEA didn't pick-up the collected meds (local law enforcement disposed of them) did the DEA ask you to report data? (pounds collected/destroyed? Additional?) </DIV>
<DIV>2. Did the DEA not ask for any data?</DIV>
<DIV> 2A. Did you gave them data anyway? What data did you provide? </DIV>
<DIV> 2B. Were chain-of-custody forms filled out when they took the collected meds? </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> 2C. Did they let you know the amount they received?</DIV>
<DIV>3. Did you provide DEA with any data other than the weight collected? What exactly?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks so much for your assistance!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<P style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT color=#000000>Ed Gottlieb<BR>Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal <BR>Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator <BR>Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility<BR>525 3<SUP>rd</SUP> Street<BR>Ithaca, NY 14850<BR>(607) 273-8381<BR>fax: (607) 273-8433<U></U><U></U><U></U></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Arial>February 07, 2013<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Arial>United States Department of Justice<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Arial>Office of Information Policy<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">NYAV</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Building</st1:PlaceType></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, 11<SUP>th</SUP> Floor<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Washington</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">, <st1:State w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">20530</st1:PostalCode></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>Re: FOIPA Appeal of Case Number 13-00066-F<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>To Whom It May Concern: <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>Under the provisions of the Federal Freedom of Information Law, I submitted a request on October 18<SUP>th</SUP>, 2012 to </FONT></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Freedom of Information Operations Unit (SARO) at the Drug Enforcement Administration located at <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">700 Army Navy Drive</st1:address></st1:Street> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Arlington</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">VA</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">22202</st1:PostalCode></st1:place>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The request was for collection </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">data from locations participating in the DEA’s National Take-Back Initiative.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The response I received dated Feb 25, 2013, states that event participants were not required to provide the requested information so it isn’t available.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>Either my request was not written clearly enough or there could be confusion about the meaning of the word, “participant”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>First, I want to more clearly state the information desired.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am requesting the most detailed data available for the number of pounds collected by location and any other data, including the number of participants, reported by collection sites participating in any DEA National Take-Back Initiative.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Wherever possible, that would be for individual collection sites.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When the data is for a DEA pick-up location where material from multiple collection sites was gathered, I would still like to receive this data.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If the sites or total number of sites that contributed their material to that pick-up point is known, I’d like to also receive that information..<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>It is hard to imagine a DEA field officer doing a pick-up of pharmaceuticals without completing a chain-of-custody form.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This paperwork would, at a minimum, require the number of containers received and the total weight transferred to be recorded.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>Through a pharmaceutical disposal Listserv, I asked organizers of collection sites around the country to let me know what information they provided to the DEA.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Responses varied geographically; apparently different DEA field offices have different requirements.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here are some of the replies I received: <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">FL: “</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">They did ask for collection numbers. I called after the events and gave them # to add to their numbers.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">MA: “</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The DEA did not require any information from us whatsoever.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">NY: “We have been required to give stats (# of residents’ serviced and total weight of materials collected) for each site. “<BR><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">UT: “</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">They did not ask us to keep track of number of participants nor the pounds collected as they provided large cardboard disposal boxes and weighed them and then let us know our total pounds by pick-up site.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=Arial>VA: “The DEA ASA agent we have here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Virginia</st1:State></st1:place> has always shared the spreadsheets of the collection sites and pounds collected with me.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT face=Arial>WA: “The Seattle Field Division is very cooperative and typically gets us a spreadsheet by county for the NW states about a month after the event.”<SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>It seems likely that the National DEA office only required DEA regional offices to submit the total weight they collected and did not ask for any other data.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When considering my FOIL request, if the DEA chose to view “participants” as their own regional offices, I can understand the claim of not having the requested detailed information.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>However, my use of the word “participants” related to collection sites.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As I make clear above, regional and/or field offices of the DEA should have considerable data, though that amount will vary between different offices and/or regions. The data may have come from site organizers reports, be in chain-of-custody forms, or in data generated by the DEA when they weighed what was received. The data will mostly be weights and sometimes will include additional information, such as the number of participants.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control should have the authority to ask all DEA offices to provide them with all the data that the offices collected and/or received from participating collection sites.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>If my request fails to reasonably describe the records desired, please contact me in writing or by phone.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>If there are any fees for copying the records requested, please inform me if the fees will be in excess of $25.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Otherwise, please proceed with this request.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><FONT face=Arial>I would appreciate a response as soon as possible and look forward to hearing from you shortly. If this appeal is denied, please inform me of the reasons for the denial in writing.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Sincerely,</SPAN><BR><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"> </SPAN> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=Arial>Ed Gottlieb<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face=Arial>Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>