[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR7.33]

[Page 67]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
          Subtitle A--Office of the Secretary of Transportation
 
PART 7_PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
                          Subpart E_Time Limits
 
Sec.  7.33  Extension.

    (a) In unusual circumstances as specified in this section, the time 
limits prescribed in Sec.  7.31 and Sec.  7.32 may be extended by 
written notice to the person making the request setting forth the 
reasons for such extension and the date on which a determination is 
expected to be dispatched. Such notice may not specify a date that would 
result in a cumulative extension of more than 10 Federal working days 
without providing the requestor an opportunity to modify the request as 
noted in this section. As used in this paragraph, ``unusual 
circumstances'' means, but only to the extent reasonably necessary to 
the proper processing of the particular request:
    (1) The need to search for and collect the requested records from 
field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the 
office processing the request.
    (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a 
voluminous amount of separate and distinct records that are demanded in 
a single request; or
    (3) The need for consultation, which will be conducted with all 
practicable speed, with any other agency or DOT component having a 
substantial interest in the determination of the request or among two or 
more components of the agency having substantial subject-matter interest 
therein.
    (b) Where the extension is for more than 10 working days, the DOT 
component will provide the requestor with an opportunity either to 
modify the request so that it may be processed within the time limits or 
to arrange an alternative time period with the component for processing 
the request or a modified request.
    (c) Where a component reasonably believes that multiple requests 
submitted by a requestor, or by a group of requesters acting in concert, 
constitute a single request that would otherwise involve unusual 
circumstances, and the requests involve clearly related matters, they 
may be aggregated for the purposes of fees and processing activities. 
Multiple requests involving unrelated matters will not be aggregated.