Environment Agency

The complainant has requested, from the Environment Agency (EA), information relating to a specified environmental permit application. EA disclosed information, but the complainant was concerned that a certain Excel spreadsheet was password protected. During the Commissioner’s investigation, EA changed its position: it’s now refusing the request, under regulation 12(4)(b) (the ‘manifestly unreasonable’ exception). The Commissioner’s decision is that EA is correct to rely on regulation 12(4)(b) and refuse the request as manifestly unreasonable; he also finds that EA breached regulation 14 due to its late refusal in reliance on regulation 12(4)(b). The Commissioner doesn’t require further steps.