Office of the Inspector General. 20th & Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC Fax: (202) Online FOIA Request Form

Transcription

1 Description of document: Requested date: Released date: Posted date: Source of document: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Inspector General (OIG) response to a Congressional request for agency -specific information on climate change, August September September-2013 Freedom of Information Office Office of the Inspector General Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 20th & Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC Fax: (202) Online FOIA Request Form The governmentattic.org web site ( the site ) is noncommercial and free to the public. The site and materials made available on the site, such as this file, are for reference only. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals have made every effort to make this information as complete and as accurate as possible, however, there may be mistakes and omissions, both typographical and in content. The governmentattic.org web site and its principals shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information provided on the governmentattic.org web site or in this file. The public records published on the site were obtained from government agencies using proper legal channels. Each document is identified as to the source. Any concerns about the contents of the site should be directed to the agency originating the document in question. GovernmentAttic.org is not responsible for the contents of documents published on the website.

2 BOARD OF GOVERNORS Of THE FECERAL RESERVE SYSTEM WASHINGTON, O. C ADDRESS OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE TO THE BOARD September 12, 2013 Re: Freedom of Information Act Request No This is in response to your letter to the Board's Office oflnspector General dated August 3, 2013, which was received by the Board' s Freedom oflnformation Office on August 12. Pursuant to the Freedom oflnformation Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, you request the following: documents and/ or any other response provided to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change in response to their February 25, 2013 letter request to your office signed by Co-Chairs Henry A. Waxman and Sheldon Whitehouse, Edward J. Markey and BenjaminL. Cardin. 1 Staff searched Board records and located documents responsive to your request. The Board's Freedom oflnformation Office will provide you with the documents you seek under separate cover. Your request, therefore, is granted in full. Very truly yours, ~~~(\\,~ Margarif1McCloskey Shanks Deputy Secretary of the Board 1 In a telephone conversation with Del Quisum bing of the Board's Legal Division on September 11, 2013, you clarified that your request seeks documents related to the Board's Office oflnspector General.

3 O FFI C E O F I N S P EC TO R GEN E R AL 801\KI> 01 1 Cov 1 ~ KN ORS OP 1 11u Fu 1>t! R;\1. REs1mvb Sn.-rnM C ONSU MHR F INANC IAL PROTECTION BU REAU w AS I lln<:ton, DC 2055 I March 28, The Honorable Edward J. Markey Co-Chair, Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Ranking Member Committee on Natural Resources U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC Dear Congressman Markey: This is our initial response to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change's (Task Force) letter dated February 25, 20 13, which made a request of Offices of Inspector General regarding how the entities they oversee are confro nting climate change. Accordi ngly, we are providing this response as the Office of Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). The first part of the Task Force's request asked for an (1) identification of existing federal climate change requi rements that apply to the Board, and (2) assessment of whether the Board is meeting those requirements and recommendations for improvement if the Board was not Cully meeting those requirements. The second part of the request asked for an (I) assessment of the authorities the Board has to reduce emissions of heat-trapping pollution and make the nati on more resilient to the effects of climate change, and (2) identi ficalion of steps the Board could take to reduce emissions or strengthen resiliency. The letter requested a response by March 29, However, during a recent conference call between Task Force staff and the Inspector General community, Task Force staff clarified that the Offices of Inspector General could provide an update on the status o f their responses by March 29, As was discussed during the recent teleconference, we have forwarded your request to the Board lor their opinion on the federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and to also provide a report on the status of the Board's compliance with the applicable requirements identified. The Board's legal division is responsible for determining the federal climate change requirements to which it is subject. Accordingly, it is not with in the juri sdiction of our office to render such an opinion. Once we receive and review the Board's response. we will provide the

4 The Honorable Edward J. Markey 2 March Task rorcc with an update and projected time frame for our ~ma l ysis and final response to the request. Thank you for your interest in the work of our Office of Inspector General. If you have questions on this or any other matter, please contact me at or John Manibusan, Assistant Congressional and Media Liaison, of my staff at We arc providing similar letters to Senators Whitehouse and Cardin and Congressman Waxman. ~;t{~ Mark Bialek Inspector General

5 OFFICE OF I NS PECTOR GENE R AL 130/\1{() 0 1' GOVl! KN OKS ())' 11 IH FEDl:J{ J\ I. R1 ~ S l~ IW I 5, 5 ni~ l CONSUMER FIN ANCIAi. PROTEC fl01\ l:luhe1\ U W,\ SlllNGTON, DC March 28, 20 I 3 The Honorable Henry A. Waxman Co-Chair, Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce U.S. House of Representatives Washington. DC Dear Congressman Waxman: This is our initial response to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change's (Task Force) letter dated February 25, 2013, which made a request of Offices of Inspector General regard ing how the entities they oversee are confronting climate change. According ly, we are providing this response as the Office of Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the F ederal Reserve System (Board). The first part of the Task Force's request asked for an (1) identification of existing federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and (2) assessment of whether the Board is meeting those requirements and recommendations for improvement if the Board was not fully meeting those requirements. The second part oft he request asked for an (1) assessment of the authorities the Board has to reduce emissions of heat-trapping pollution and make the nation more resilient to the effects of climate change, and (2) identification of steps the Board could take to reduce emissions or strengthen resiliency. The letter requested a response by March 29, However, during a recent conference call between Task Force staff and the Inspector General community, Task Force staff clarified that the Offices of Inspector General could provide an update on the status o f their responses by March As was discussed during the recent teleconference,.we have forwarded your request to the Board for their opinion on the federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and to also provide a report on the status of the Board's compliance with the applicable requirements identified. The Board 's legal division is responsible fo r determining the federal climate change requirements to which it is subject. Accordingly, it is not wi thin the jurisdiction of our office to render such an opinion. Once we receive and review the Board's response, we will provide the

6 The Honorable Henry A. Waxman 2 March 28, 2013 Task Force with an update and projected time frame for our analysis and final response to the request. Thank you for your interest in the work of our Office of Inspector 01.:ncral. If you have questions on this or any other matter, please contact me at or John Manibusan, /\ssistant Congressional and Media Liaison, or my staff at We arc providing similar letters to Senators Whitehouse and Cardin and Congressman Markey. ~;c(/~ Mark 13ialck Inspector General

7 0FFTCE OF I NSPECTO R GE N ERAL 1301\KIJ OP Gov1:HN01(S ! F 1r1>t1<A1. H1: <;1; 1tv1i 5, ~i'l l! M C0 Nsu ~1ER F1N 1\NCli\L PR01 n 10N BUREAU W,\ SI llncton, DC March 28, 20 I 3 The Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin Co-Chair Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Chairman Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC 205 l 0 Dear Senator Cardin: This is our initial response to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Chan ge's (Task Force) letter dated February 25, 2013, which made a request of Offices of Inspector General regarding how the entities they oversee are confronting climate change. Accordingly, we are providing this response as the Office of Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). The first part of the Task force's request asked for an ( I) idcnti lication of existing federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and (2) assessment of whether the Board is meeting those requirements and recommendations for improvement if the Board was not fu lly meeting those requirements. The second part of the request asked for an ( I) assessment of the authorities the Board has to reduce emissions of heat-trapping pollution and make the nation more resilient to the effects of climare change, and (2) identification of steps the Board could take to reduce emissions or strengthen resiliency. The Jetter requested a response by March 29, However, during a recent conference call between Task Force staff and the Inspector General community, Task f orce staff clarified that the Offices of Inspector General could provide an update on the status of their responses by March 29, As was discu~sed during the recent teleconference, we have forwarded your request to the Board for their opinion on the federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and to also provide a report on the status of the Bomd' s compliance with the applicable requirements identified. The Board's legal division is responsible for determining the federal climate change requirements to which it is subject. Accordingly. it is not within the jurisdiction of our office to render such an opinion. Once we receive and review the Board's response, we will provide the

8 The Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin 2 March 28, 2013 Task Force with an update m1d projected time frame for our analysis and final response lo the request. Thank you for yoti1' interest in the work of our Office of lnspectoi Genernl. If you have questions on this or any other matter, please contact me at or John Manibusan, Assistant Congressional and Media Liaison, of my staff at We are providing similar letters to Senator Whitehouse and Congressmen Waxman and Markey. Sincerely, 4-(.~~ Inspector General

9 OF FI CE OF l ' SPECTOR GENERAL 0 0 1\K1J 0 1' Gov t! 1u.:0 1< ~ O F 1111i F 1l 1) 1;K1\I. R1;:.J1 KVF Svs 1 Uf\, C 01'SU.ME R fj N1\ NCIAt PROTECTIO N 6 URJJ A U W 1\ SI ll NGTON, DC March 28, 2013 The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse Co-Chair, Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change Chairman Subcommittee on Oversight Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC Dear Senator Whitehouse: This is our initial response to the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change's (Task Force) letter dated february 25, 2013, which made a request of Offices of Inspector General regarding how the entities they oversee are confronting climate change. According ly, we are providing this response as the Office of Inspector General of the Board or Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board). The first part of the Task Force's request asked for an (I) identification of existing fede ral climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and (2) assessment of whether the Board is meeting those requirements and recommendations for improvement if the Board was not fully meeting those requirements. The second part of the request asked for an ( l) assessment of the authorities the Board has to reduce emissions of heat-trapping pollution and make the nation more resilient to the effects of cl irnate change, and (2) identi ftcation of steps the Board could take to reduce emissions or strengthen resi liency. The letter requested a response by March 29, However, during a recent conference call between Task Force staff and the Inspector General community, Task P'orce staff clmified that the Offices of Inspector General could provide an update on the status of their responses by March 29, As was discussed during the recent teleconference, we have forwarded your request to the Board for their opinion on the federal climate change requirements that apply to the Board, and to also provide a report on the status onhe Board's compliance with the applicable requirements ident ified. The Board's legal division is responsible for determining the tederal climate change requirements to which it is subject. Accordingly, it is not within the jurisdiction of our ofiice to render such an opinion. Once we receive and review the Board 's response, we will provide the

10 The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse 2 March Task Force with an update and projected time frame for our analysis and final response lo the request. Thank you for your interest in tht.: work of our Ol'licc of luspcctor General. Ir you have questions on this or any other matter, please contact me at or John Manibusan, Assistant Congressional and Media Liaison. or my staff at We arc providing similar letters to Senator Cardin and Congressmen Waxman and Markey. Sincerely, //_/~ / 4 //d' ~v&~/~ Mark Bialek Inspector General