CAUS Deactivated: FOIA Search Fees Become Prohibitive, NORAD Demands $294,157

EVENT TITLE: CAUS Deactivated: FOIA Search Fees Become Prohibitive, NORAD Demands $294,157
EVENT DATE: 1979-09-01
EVENT TYPE: legislation
EXISTING SUMMARY: Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) was 'deactivated' in September 1979. According to Larry Bryant, the problem was lack of money, not government pressure. FOIA search fees had become prohibitive — NORAD told CAUS a request for UFO radar trackings would require 18,383 hours and cost $294,157. High f

1. Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) was deactivated in September 1979. The deactivation was attributed to a lack of funding and prohibitive FOIA search fees, rather than direct government pressure. A specific instance involved NORAD demanding a substantial fee for UFO radar tracking data.

The Incident * Throughout 1979, CAUS, including Peter Gersten, Todd Zechel, and Brad Sparks, continued to request UFO-related documents from government agencies. * Despite NSA stonewalling, CAUS had some optimism due to previous document releases. * In September 1979, CAUS was deactivated. * Larry Bryant stated the deactivation was due to a lack of money and public support. * NORAD informed CAUS that a request for data on UFO radar trackings would require 18,383 hours and cost $294,157.

Investigation * The source text does not describe any formal investigation into the deactivation of CAUS. * The high FOIA search fees are presented as a key method used to discourage FOIA requests on UFOs.

Significance * The deactivation of CAUS highlights the challenges faced by civilian organizations seeking UFO-related information from the government. * The high FOIA search fees requested by NORAD suggest a potential strategy to limit public access to UFO data. * Despite the deactivation, CAUS had some success in obtaining documents, including the 1961 Moon Dust document, which explicitly distinguished UFOs from Soviet craft and mentioned the recovery of unidentified flying objects.