40 C.F.R. § 1515.36
Do I have to pay fees if CEQ misses the deadline for responding to my request?
Cite as 40 C.F.R. § 1515.36 (2026)
CEQ will not charge search fees or duplication fees if we have failed to grant or deny your request within the period described in § 1515.13, unless: (a) CEQ determines that unusual circumstances are present, as described in § 1515.13; and (1) CEQ finishes processing your request within 10 working days of the original deadline; or (2) Your request seeks more than 5,000 pages of records; CEQ has provided you timely written notice of the unusual circumstances; and we have discussed with you how you could effectively limit the scope of your request (or we made at least three attempts in good faith to do so); or (b) A court grants CEQ additional time to process your request due to exceptional circumstances, and we finish processing your request within the period set forth in a court order.
- Cross-references to the CFR
- 1515.13