Council on Environmental Quality
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2023-12-29 | 907 | 1.8 |
| #2 | 2023-03-09 | 642 | 2.6 |
| #3 | 2023-03-29 | 628 | 2.5 |
| #4 | 2023-05-22 | 590 | 2.4 |
| #5 | 2023-09-25 | 504 | 2.0 |
| #6 | 2023-11-13 | 471 | 1.9 |
| #7 | 2023-12-01 | 458 | 1.8 |
| #8 | 2023-12-09 | 452 | 1.8 |
| #9 | 2023-12-09 | 452 | 1.8 |
| #10 | 2023-12-09 | 452 | 1.8 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 427 | 395 | 127 |
| FY2024 | 420 | 348 | 106 |
| FY2023 | 122 | 132 | 35 |
| FY2022 | 127 | 124 | 45 |
| FY2021 | 105 | 130 | 42 |
| FY2020 | 166 | 140 | 68 |
| FY2019 | 119 | 130 | 42 |
| FY2018 | 167 | 156 | 53 |
| FY2017 | 189 | 216 | 42 |
| FY2016 | 104 | 82 | 78 |
| FY2015 | 83 | 75 | 56 |
| FY2014 | 35 | 30 | 48 |
| FY2013 | 64 | 34 | 43 |
| FY2012 | 50 | 58 | 13 |
| FY2011 | 41 | 23 | 24 |
| FY2010 | 25 | 24 | 6 |
| FY2009 | 48 | 48 | 5 |
| FY2008 | 35 | 50 | 5 |
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