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RI Division of Statewide Planning
235 Promenade Street, Suite 230
Providence, RI 02908 DOA.Water@doa.ri.gov Kathleen.Crawley@doa.ri.gov

RI WRB Policy

Rules

Open Records

Policies and Procedures for the Request of Records Maintained by the RI Water Resources Board

Request to Inspect and/or Copy Public Records (Form Rev 06/2010) (PDF)

Requests to inspect or copy records of public bodies are governed by the provisions of Rhode Island General Laws 38-2-1 et seq., entitled “Access to Public Records”.

Among the pertinent and applicable sections of the Access to Public Records Act are RIGL Sections 38-2-2 (“Definitions”), 38-2-3 (Procedures for access”), 38-2-4 (“Cost”) and 38-2-7 (“Denial of access”). The Access to Public Records Act is contained in Volume 6A of the General Laws of Rhode Island and is available for review at public libraries or on-line at:
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE38/38-2/INDEX.HTM.

As stated in RIGL Section 38-2-3 (c), a written request for public information need not be submitted for records available pursuant to RIGL Section 42-35-2 or for those documents that are prepared for or readily available to the public. Such documents that are maintained by the Board are available for inspection and may be reviewed at the Board on weekdays between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM. If you have any questions about the availability of these documents, you should contact the Board at DOA.Water@doa.ri.gov or (401) 563-8122.

For a copy of documents that are readily available to the public, there is no charge.

For those Board records that have not been prepared for or are readily available to the public, the Requestor should submit a written request (delivered to the Board through a postal service, hand delivery, fax, or email). A copy of the Board’s Records Request Form may be obtained at the Board’s website www.wrb.ri.gov or upon request via email or telephone (see above). The Requestor should complete and sign the form and submit it to the Board’s Office at One Capitol Hill, Third Floor, Providence, Rhode Island 02908.

After the Board makes a determination whether a request seeks public records that may properly be disclosed, the Requestor will be notified. If the Board determines there is any fee for the requested records, as described in RIGL Section 38-2-4, the Requestor will be provided an estimate for any copying or retrieval charge(s). After the requested payment for any copying or retrieval charge(s) has been received, copies of records that may be properly released will be sent by mail, unless alternate arrangements for delivery have been made.

In the event that a Requestor wishes to inspect these public records, the Board will contact you and arrange a time for inspection of the records at offices of the Board.

The Board maintains a separate Internal Document Security Protocol for requests to review Water Supply Systems Management Plans in conformance with R.I. General Laws Section 46-15.3-17.5. This document is available upon request.

Revised 06-2010