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to the contractor or subcontractor shall notify the contractor or subcontractor that the information was acquired under authority of the Act and that any knowing disclosure of the information may subject the contractor or subcontractor and its employees to the penalties in section 14(d) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 2613(d)).

(k) Disclosure of information when necessary to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury. (1) Under section 14(a)(3) of the Act (15 U.S.C 2613(a)(3)), any information to which this section applies may be disclosed by EPA when disclosure is necessary to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment. However, any disclosure shall be made in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of the information to the extent not inconsistent with protecting health or the environment against the unreasonable risk of injury. Disclosure of information to which this section applies because of the need to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury shall be made only in accordance with this paragraph (k).

(2) If any EPA office determines that there is an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment and that to protect health or the environment against the unreasonable risk of injury it is necessary to disclose information to which this section applies that otherwise might be entitled to confidential treatment under this subpart, the EPA office shall notify the General Counsel in writing of the nature of the unreasonable risk of injury, the extent of the disclosure proposed, how the proposed disclosure will serve to protect health or the environment against the unreasonable risk of injury, and the proposed date of disclosure. Such notification shall be made as soon as practicable after discovery of the unreasonable risk of injury. If the EPA office determines that the risk of injury is so imminent that it is impracticable to furnish written notification to the General Counsel, the EPA office shall notify the General Counsel orally.

(3) Upon receipt of notification under paragraph (k)(2) of this section, the General Counsel shall make a deter

mination in writing whether disclosure of information to which this section applies that otherwise might be entitled to confidential treatment is necessary to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury. The General Counsel shall also determine the extent of disclosure necessary to protect against the unreasonable risk of injury as well as when the disclosure must be made to protect against the unreasonable risk of injury.

(4) If the General Counsel determines that disclosure of information to which this section applies that otherwise might be entitled to confidential treatment is necessary to protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury, the General Counsel shall furnish notice to each affected business of the contemplated disclosure and of the General Counsel's determination. Such notice shall be made in writing by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 15 days before the disclosure is to be made. The notice shall state the date upon which disclosure will be made. However, if the General Counsel determines that the risk of injury is so imminent that it is impracticable to furnish such notice 15 days before the proposed date of disclosure, the General Counsel may provide notice by means that will provide receipt of the notice by the affected business at least 24 hours before the disclosure is to be made. This may be done by telegram, telephone, or other reasonably rapid means.

[43 FR 40003, Sept. 8, 1978, as amended at 44 FR 17674, Mar. 23, 1979; 58 FR 462, Jan. 5, 1993]

§ 2.307 Special rules governing certain information obtained under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section;

(1) Act means the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq., and its predecessor, 7 U.S.C. 135 et seq.

(2) Applicant means any person who has submitted to EPA (or to a predecessor agency with responsibility for administering the Act) a registration

statement or application for registration under the Act of a pesticide or of an establishment.

(3) Registrant means any person who has obtained registration under the Act of a pesticide or of an establishment.

(b) Applicability. This section applies to all information submitted to EPA by an applicant or registrant for the purpose of satisfying some requirement or condition of the Act or of regulations which implement the Act, including information originally submitted to EPA for some other purpose but incorporated by the applicant or registrant into a submission in order to satisfy some requirement or condition of the Act or of regulations which implement the Act. This section does not apply to information supplied to EPA by a petitioner in support of a petition for a tolerance under 21 U.S.C. 346a(d), unless the information is also described by the first sentence of this paragraph.

(c) Basic rules which apply without change. Sections 2.201 through 2.203, 2.206, 2.207, and 2.210 through 2.215 apply without change to information to which this section applies.

(d) Initial action by EPA office. Section 2.204 applies to information to which this section applies, except that the provisions of paragraph (e) of this section regarding the time allowed for seeking judicial review shall be reflected in any notice furnished to a business under §2.204(d)(2).

(e) Final confidentiality determination by EPA legal office. Section 2.205 applies to information to which this section applies, except that—

(1) Notwithstanding §2.205(i), the General Counsel (or his designee), rather than the Regional Counsel, shall make the determinations and take the actions required by §2.205;

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plementation of the determination, the notice shall state that (subject to §2.210) EPA will make the information available to the public on the thirtyfirst (31st) calendar day after the date of the business's receipt of the written notice (or on such later date as is established in lieu thereof under paragraph (f)(3) of this section), unless the EPA legal office has first been notified of the business's commencement of an action in a Federal court to obtain judicial review of the determination or to obtain a declaratory judgment under section 10(c) of the Act and to obtain preliminary injunctive relief against disclosure."; and

(4) Notwithstanding §2.205(g), the 31 calendar day period prescribed by §2.205(f)(2), as modified by paragraph (e)(3) of this section, shall not be shortened without the consent of the business.

(f) [Reserved]

(g) Substantive criteria for use in confidentiality determinations. Section 2.208 applies without change to information to which this section applies; however, no information to which this section applies is voluntarily submitted information.

(h) Disclosure in special circumstances. (1) Section 2.209 applies without change to information to which this section applies. In addition, under section 12(a)(2)(D) of the Act, 7 U.S.C. 136j(a)(2)(D), EPA possesses authority to disclose any information to which this section applies to physicians, pharmacists, and other qualified persons needing such information for the performance of their duties, notwithstanding the fact that the information might otherwise be entitled to confidential treatment under this subpart. Such authority under section 12(a)(2)(D) of the Act may be exercised only in accordance with paragraph (h)(2) or (h)(3) of this section.

(2) Information to which this section applies may be disclosed (notwithstanding the fact that it might otherwise be entitled to confidential treatment under this subpart) to physicians, pharmacists, hospitals, veterinarians, law enforcement personnel, or governmental agencies with responsibilities for protection of public health, and to

employees of any such persons or agencies, or to other qualified persons, when and to the extent that disclosure is necessary in order to treat illness or injury or to prevent imminent harm to persons, property, or the environment, in the opinion of the Administrator or his designee.

(3) Information to which this section applies may be disclosed (notwithstanding the fact that it otherwise might be entitled to confidential treatment under this subpart) to a person under contract to EPA to perform work for EPA in connection with the Act or regulations which implement the Act, if the EPA program office managing the contract first determines in writing that such disclosure is necessary in order that the contractor may carry out the work required by the contract. Any such disclosure to a contractor shall be made only in accordance with the procedure and requirements of §2.301(h)(2) (ii) through (iv).

(4) Information to which this section applies, and which relates to formulas of products, may be disclosed at any public hearing or in findings of fact issued by the Administrator, to the extent and in the manner authorized by the Administrator or his designee.

[41 FR 36902, Sept. 1, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 40005, Sept. 8, 1978]

§ 2.308 Special rules governing certain information obtained under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:

(1) Act means the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended, 21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.

(2) Petition means a petition for the issuance of a regulation establishing a tolerance for a pesticide chemical or exempting the pesticide chemical from the necessity of a tolerance, pursuant to section 408(d) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(d).

(3) Petitioner means a person who has submitted a petition to EPA (or to a predecessor agency).

(b) Applicability. (1) This section applies only to business information submitted to EPA (or to an advisory committee established under the Act) by a

petitioner, solely in support of a petition which has not been acted on by the publication by EPA of a regulation establishing a tolerance for a pesticide chemical or exempting the pesticide chemical from the necessity of a tolerance, as provided in section 408(d) (2) or (3) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(d) (2) or (3).

(2) Section 2.307, rather than this section, applies to information described by the first sentence of §2.307(b) (material incorporated into submissions in order to satisfy the requirements of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended), even though such information was originally submitted by a petitioner in support of a petition.

(3) This section does not apply to information gathered by EPA under a proceeding initiated by EPA to establish a tolerance under section 408(e) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(e).

(c) Basic rules which apply without change. Sections 2.201, 2.202, 2.206, 2.207, and 2.210 through 2.215 apply without change to information to which this section applies.

(d) Effect of submission of information without claim. Section 2.203 (a) and (b) apply without change to information to which this section applies. Section 2.203(c), however, does not apply to information to which this section applies. A petitioner's failure to assert a claim when initially submitting a petition shall not constitute a waiver of any claim the petitioner may have.

(e) Initial action by EPA office. Section 2.204 applies to information to which this section applies, except that

(1) Unless the EPA office has on file a written waiver of a petitioner's claim, a petitioner shall be regarded as an affected business, a petition shall be treated as if it were covered by a business confidentiality claim, and an EPA office acting under §2.204(d) shall determine that the information in the petition is or may be entitled to confidential treatment and shall take action in accordance with §2.204(d)(1);

(2) In addition to other required provisions of any notice furnished to a petitioner under §2.204(e), such notice shall state that

(i) Section 408(f) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(f), affords absolute confidentiality

to information to which this section applies, but after publication by EPA of a regulation establishing a tolerance (or exempting the pesticide chemical from the necessity of a tolerance) neither the Act nor this section affords any protection to the information;

(ii) Information submitted in support of a petition which is also incorporated into a submission in order to satisfy a requirement or condition of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq., is regarded by EPA as being governed, with respect to business confidentiality, by §2.307 rather than by this section;

(iii) Although it appears that this section may apply to the information at this time, EPA is presently engaged in determining whether for any reason the information is entitled to confidential treatment or will be entitled to such treatment if and when this section no longer applies to the information; and

(iv) Information determined by EPA to be covered by this section will not be disclosed for as long as this section continues to apply, but will be made available to the public thereafter (subject to §2.210) unless the business furnishes timely comments in response to the notice.

(f) Final confidentiality determination by EPA legal office. Section 2.205 applies to information to which this section applies, except that

(1) Notwithstanding §2.205(i), the General Counsel or his designee, rather than the Regional counsel, shall in all cases make the determinations and take the actions required by §2.205;

(2) In addition to the circumstances mentioned in §2.205(f)(1), notice in the form prescribed by §2.205(f)(2) shall be furnished to each affected business whenever information is found to be

entitled to confidential treatment under section 408(f) of the Act but not otherwise entitled to confidential treatment. With respect to such cases, the following sentences shall be substituted for the third sentence of §2.205(f)(2): “With respect to EPA's implementation of the determination, the notice shall state that (subject to §2.210) EPA will make the information available to the public on the thirty

first (31st) calendar day after the business's receipt of the written notice (or on such later date as is established in lieu thereof under paragraph (f)(3) of this section), unless the EPA legal office has first been notified of the business's commencement of an action in a Federal court to obtain judicial review of the determination and to obtain preliminary injunctive relief against disclosure; provided, that the information will not be made available to the public for so long as it is entitled to confidential treatment under section 408(f) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(f).”; and

(3) Notwithstanding §2.205(g), the 31 calendar day period prescribed by §2.205(f)(2), as modified by paragraph (f)(2) of this section, shall not be shortened without the consent of the business.

(g) [Reserved]

(h) Substantive criteria for use in confidentiality determinations. Section 2.208 does not apply to information to which this section applies. Such information shall be determined to be entitled to confidential treatment for so long as this section continues to apply to it.

(i) Disclosure in special circumstances. (1) Section 2.209 applies to information to which this section applies. In addition, under Section 408(f) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(f), EPA is authorized to disclose the information to other persons. Such authority under section 408(f) of the Act may be exercised only in accordance with paragraph (i)(2) or (i)(3) of this section.

(2) Information to which this section applies may be disclosed (notwithstanding the fact that it otherwise might be entitled to confidential treatment under this subpart) to a person under contract to EPA to perform work for EPA in connection with the Act, with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended, or regulations which implement either such Act, if the EPA program office managing the contract first determines in writing that such disclosure is necessary in order that the contractor may carry out the work required by the contract. Any such disclosure to a

contractor shall be made only in accordance with the procedures and requirements of §2.301(h)(2) (ii) through (iv).

(3) Information to which this section applies may be disclosed by EPA to an advisory committee in accordance with section 408(d) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. 346a(d).

[41 FR 36902, Sept. 1, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 40005, Sept. 8, 1978]

§ 2.309 Special rules governing certain information obtained under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section:

(1) Act means the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, 33 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.

(2) Permit means any permit applied for or granted under the Act.

(3) Application means an application for a permit.

(b) Applicability. This section applies to all information provided to or obtained by EPA as a part of any application or in connection with any permit.

(c) Basic rules which apply without change. Sections 2.201 through 2.207 and 2.209 through 2.215 apply without change to information to which this section applies.

(d) Substantive criteria for use in confidentiality determinations. Section 2.208 does not apply to information to which this section applies. Pursuant to section 104(f) of the Act, 33 U.S.C. 1414(f), no information to which this section applies is eligible for confidential treatment.

[41 FR 36902, Sept. 1, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 40005, Sept. 8, 1978]

§ 2.310 Special rules governing certain information obtained under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section:

(1) Act means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, including amendments made by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.

(2) Person has the meaning given it in section 101(21) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601(21).

(3) Facility has the meaning given it in section 101(9) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601(9).

(4) Hazardous substance has the meaning given it in section 101(14) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601(14).

(5) Release has the meaning given it in section 101(22) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 9601(22).

(6) Proceeding means any rulemaking or adjudication conducted by EPA under the Act or under regulations which implement the Act (including the issuance of administrative orders under section 106 of the Act and cost recovery pre-litigation settlement negotiations under sections 107 or 122 of the Act), any cost recovery litigation under section 107 of the Act, or any administrative determination made under section 104 of the Act, but not including determinations under this subpart.

(b) Applicability. This section applies only to information provided to or obtained by EPA under section 104 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 9604, by or from any person who stores, treats, or disposes of hazardous wastes; or where necessary to ascertain facts not available at the facility where such hazardous substances are located, by or from any person who generates, transports, or otherwise handles or has handled hazardous substances, or by or from any person who performs or supports removal or remedial actions pursuant to section 104(a) of the Act. Information will be considered to have been provided or obtained under section 104 of the Act if it was provided in response to a request from EPA or a representative of EPA made for any of the purposes stated in section 104, if it was provided pursuant to the terms of a contract, grant or other agreement to perform work pursuant to section 104, or if its submission could have been required under section 104, regardless of whether section 104 was cited as authority for any request for the information or whether the information was provided directly to EPA or through some third person.

(c) Basic rules which apply without change. Sections 2.201 through 2.207 and

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