CDC Correspondence

Request to:
University of Hawaii
Law used:
State of Hawaii UIPA
Status of this request:
Request Successful
Summary of Request
Correspondence between the University of Hawaii and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from May 13, 2014 to present regarding UH's registration to possess, use, or transfer select agents and toxins, including but not limited to Registration # C20110621-1232.

Messages in this request

From R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
Subject Records Request for University of Hawaii: CDC Correspondence [#314]
Date Feb. 4, 2020, 11:39 a.m.
To University of Hawaii
Status Awaiting response
Attachments

Aloha, Pursuant to the public records law, I would like to request the following records in electronic format sent to my email address.
Correspondence between the University of Hawaii and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from May 13, 2014 to present regarding UH's registration to possess, use, or transfer select agents and toxins, including but not limited to Registration # C20110621-1232.
[... Show complete request text] R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
  1. 4 years, 1 month agoFeb. 4, 2020, 11:39 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) sent a message to University of Hawaii.
  2. 4 years, 1 month agoFeb. 21, 2020, midnight: This request became overdue
From R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
Subject Records Request for University of Hawaii: CDC Correspondence [#314]
Date Feb. 21, 2020, 10:34 a.m.
To University of Hawaii

Aloha, My February 4, 2020 UIPA request for CDC Correspondence was not answered in the time defined by HAR 2-71-13. Please update me on the status of my request as soon as possible. Mahalo, Brian
  1. 4 years, 1 month agoFeb. 21, 2020, 10:34 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) sent a message to University of Hawaii.
From Presley Pang – University of Hawaii
Subject First Incremental Release of Correspondence Between UH and Center for Disease Control regarding select agents registration
Date March 16, 2020, 10:17 a.m.
Status Awaiting response
Attachments

Please See Attached for Notice of First Incremental Release and Redacted Documents.
  1. 4 years agoMarch 16, 2020, 10:20 a.m.: Received an email from University of Hawaii.
  2. 4 years agoMarch 16, 2020, 10:25 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) published an attachment on request CDC Correspondence.
  3. 4 years agoMarch 16, 2020, 10:47 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) made the request 'CDC Correspondence' public.
From Presley Pang – University of Hawaii
Subject First Supplemental Release of Documents
Date May 26, 2020, 2:20 p.m.
Status Request resolved
Attachments

In response to a UIPA request dated 02-04-2020 requesting correspondence between the University of Hawaii and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from May 13, 2014 concerning UH's select agents registration, please see the attached First Supplemental Notice to Requester, dated May 26, 2020, and the second incremental set of redacted documents (78 pages). The attached disclosure supplements the original disclosure (18 pages) emailed to this address on March 16, 2020. We anticipate no further incremental disclosures.
  1. 3 years, 10 months agoMay 26, 2020, 2:24 p.m.: Received an email from University of Hawaii.
  2. 3 years, 10 months agoMay 26, 2020, 2:25 p.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) published an attachment on request CDC Correspondence.
  3. 3 years, 10 months agoMay 26, 2020, 3:11 p.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) published an attachment on request CDC Correspondence.
  4. 3 years, 10 months agoMay 27, 2020, 10:01 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) set status to 'Request Successful'.
From R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
Subject First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date June 23, 2020, 11:07 a.m.
To University of Hawaii

Aloha Mr. Pang, there is nothing in these disclosures regarding recent communications with the CDC about the University facilities. The University's Biosafety Officer Hubert Olipares testified to the Board of Agriculture today that the CDC and USDA certified the UH facilities. He offered that testimony in the context of importing the COVID-19 virus (a select agent). In his testimony, Mr. Olipares indicated that the CDC inspected the facilities in January of this year, and thus related communications fall squarely within the scope of my original request. I would ask that you check again for responsive documents. Specifically, Mr. Olipares would seem to have more recent documents responsive to the request. Regards, R. Brian Black
  1. 3 years, 9 months agoJune 23, 2020, 11:07 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) sent a message to University of Hawaii.
From Presley Pang – University of Hawaii
Subject Re: First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date June 23, 2020, 2:45 p.m.
Status Awaiting response

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Can you confirm or clarify that you are seeking correspondence between UH and USDA as well as communication between UH and CDC regarding registration under select agent program(s) of either CDC or UHDA? On Tue, Jun 23, 2020 at 11:07 AM R. Brian Black < <<email address> > wrote: > Aloha Mr. Pang, there is nothing in these disclosures regarding recent > communications with the CDC about the University facilities. The > University's > Biosafety Officer Hubert Olipares testified to the Board of Agriculture > today > that the CDC and USDA certified the UH facilities. He offered that > testimony in the context of importing the COVID-19 virus (a select > agent). In his > testimony, Mr. Olipares indicated that the CDC inspected the facilities in > January of this year, and thus related communications fall squarely > within the > scope of my original request. > > I would ask that you check again for responsive documents. Specifically, > Mr. Olipares would seem to have more recent documents responsive to the > request. > > Regards, > R. Brian Black > > > > > > >
  1. 3 years, 9 months agoJune 23, 2020, 2:49 p.m.: Received an email from University of Hawaii.
From R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
Subject Re: First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date June 23, 2020, 3:06 p.m.
To University of Hawaii

If there were communications solely between USDA and UH regarding a select agent program, then I would clarify my request to include those. But from what I had seen previously, the select agent program is jointly administered by CDC and USDA--with both agencies involved in communications--so most USDA communications would fall within my original request. If you send me the more formal correspondence first (i.e., not e-mails), I may be able to narrow any request for less formal documents. Regards, Brian
  1. 3 years, 9 months agoJune 23, 2020, 3:06 p.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) sent a message to University of Hawaii.
From Presley Pang – University of Hawaii
Subject Re: First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date June 23, 2020, 3:08 p.m.
Status Request resolved

I will concentrate on the "formal" correspondence first (like I did with your last request), and then supplement with the emails. On Tue, Jun 23, 2020 at 3:06 PM R. Brian Black < <<email address> > wrote: > If there were communications solely between USDA and UH regarding a select > agent program, then I would clarify my request to include those. But from > what I had seen previously, the select agent program is jointly > administered > by CDC and USDA--with both agencies involved in communications--so most > USDA > communications would fall within my original request. If you send me the > more formal correspondence first (i.e., not e-mails), I may be able to > narrow > any request for less formal documents. > > Regards, > Brian > > > > > > >
  1. 3 years, 9 months agoJune 23, 2020, 3:13 p.m.: Received an email from University of Hawaii.
From Presley Pang – University of Hawaii
Subject Re: First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date July 8, 2020, 5:06 p.m.
Attachments

I am enclosing the CDC Notice of Inspection (January 6, 2020), along with the CDC report and the UH reply. Names of the CDC inspectors for the site visit, and the personal "24/7" numbers of the UH staff have been redacted. On Tue, Jun 23, 2020 at 11:07 AM R. Brian Black < <<email address> > wrote: > Aloha Mr. Pang, there is nothing in these disclosures regarding recent > communications with the CDC about the University facilities. The > University's > Biosafety Officer Hubert Olipares testified to the Board of Agriculture > today > that the CDC and USDA certified the UH facilities. He offered that > testimony in the context of importing the COVID-19 virus (a select > agent). In his > testimony, Mr. Olipares indicated that the CDC inspected the facilities in > January of this year, and thus related communications fall squarely > within the > scope of my original request. > > I would ask that you check again for responsive documents. Specifically, > Mr. Olipares would seem to have more recent documents responsive to the > request. > > Regards, > R. Brian Black > > > > > > >
  1. 3 years, 8 months agoJuly 8, 2020, 5:11 p.m.: Received an email from University of Hawaii.
  2. 3 years, 8 months agoJuly 8, 2020, 5:17 p.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) published an attachment on request CDC Correspondence.
From R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest)
Subject Re: First Supplemental Release of Documents [#314]
Date July 9, 2020, 7:45 a.m.
To University of Hawaii

Mahalo nui, R. Brian Black
  1. 3 years, 8 months agoJuly 9, 2020, 7:45 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) sent a message to University of Hawaii.
  2. 3 years, 8 months agoJuly 9, 2020, 7:46 a.m.: R. Brian Black (Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest) set status to 'Request Successful'.