[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR2.206]

[Page 44]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
               CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
 
PART 2_PUBLIC INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
            Subpart B_Confidentiality of Business Information
 
Sec. 2.206  Advance confidentiality determinations.

    (a) An advance determination under this section may be issued by an 
EPA legal office if--
    (1) EPA has requested or demanded that a business furnish business 
information to EPA;
    (2) The business asserts that the information, if submitted, would 
constitute voluntarily submitted information under Sec. 2.201(i);
    (3) The business will voluntarily submit the information for use by 
EPA only if EPA first determines that the information is entitled to 
confidential treatment under this subpart; and
    (4) The EPA office which desires submission of the information has 
requested that the EPA legal office issue a determination under this 
section.
    (b) The EPA office requesting an advance determination under this 
section shall--
    (1) Arrange to have the business furnish directly to the EPA legal 
office a copy of the information (or, where feasible, a description of 
the nature of the information sufficient to allow a determination to be 
made), as well as the business's comments concerning the matters 
addressed in Sec. 2.204(e)(4), excluding, however, matters addressed in 
Sec. 2.204 (e)(4)(iii) and (e)(4)(iv); and
    (2) Furnish to the EPA legal office the materials referred to in 
Sec. 2.204(f) (3), (7), (8), and (9).
    (c) In making a determination under this section, the EPA legal 
office shall first determine whether or not the information would 
constitute voluntarily submitted information under Sec. 2.201(i). If 
the information would constitute voluntarily submitted information, the 
legal office shall further determine whether the information is entitled 
to confidential treatment.
    (d) If the EPA legal office determines that the information would 
not constitute voluntarily submitted information, or determines that it 
would constitute voluntarily submitted information but would not be 
entitled to confidential treatment, it shall so inform the business and 
the EPA office which requested the determination, stating the basis of 
the determination, and shall return to the business all copies of the 
information which it may have received from the business (except that if 
a request under 5 U.S.C. 552 for release of the information is received 
while the EPA legal office is in possession of the information, the 
legal office shall retain a copy of the information, but shall not 
disclose it unless ordered by a Federal court to do so). The legal 
office shall not disclose the information to any other EPA office or 
employee and shall not use the information for any purpose except the 
determination under this section, unless otherwise directed by a Federal 
court.
    (e) If the EPA legal office determines that the information would 
constitute voluntarily submitted information and that it is entitled to 
confidential treatment, it shall so inform the EPA office which 
requested the determination and the business which submitted it, and 
shall forward the information to the EPA office which requested the 
determination.