25185.6
. (a) (1) The department or a local officer or agency
authorized to enforce this chapter pursuant to subdivision (a) of
Section 25180, in connection with any action authorized by this
chapter, may require any of the following persons to furnish and
transmit, upon reasonable notice, to the designated offices of the
department or the local officer or agency any existing information
relating to hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, or hazardous
materials:
(A) Any person who owns or operates any hazardous waste facility.
(B) Any person who generates, stores, treats, transports, disposes
of, or otherwise handles hazardous waste.
(C) Any person who has generated, stored, treated, transported,
disposed of, or otherwise handled hazardous waste.
(D) Any person who arranges, or has arranged, by contract or other
agreement, to store, treat, transport, dispose of, or otherwise
handle hazardous waste.
(E) Any person who applies, or has applied, for any permit,
registration, or certification under this chapter.
(2) (A) The department, or a local officer or agency authorized to
enforce this chapter pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25180,
may require a person described in paragraph (1) to furnish and
transmit, upon reasonable notice, to the designated offices of the
department or the local officer or agency, any information relating
to the person's ability to pay for, or to perform, a response action.
(B) This paragraph applies only if there is a reasonable basis to
believe that there has been or may be a release or threatened release
of a hazardous substance, and only for the purpose of determining
under this chapter how to finance a response action or otherwise for
the purpose of enforcing this chapter.
(b) (1) The department may require any person who has information
regarding the activities of a person described in subparagraphs (A)
to (E), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) relating to
hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, or hazardous materials, to
furnish and transmit, upon reasonable notice, that information to the
designated offices of the department.
(2) (A) The department may require any person who has information
regarding the activities of a person described in subparagraphs (A)
to (E), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), relating to
the ability of the person described in those subparagraphs to pay
for, or to perform, a response action, upon reasonable notice, to
furnish and transmit that information to the designated offices of
the department.
(B) This paragraph applies only if there is a reasonable basis to
believe that there has been or may be a release or threatened release
of a hazardous substance, and only for the purpose of determining
under this chapter how to finance a response action or otherwise for
the purpose of enforcing this chapter.
(c) Any person required to furnish information pursuant to this
section shall pay any costs of photocopying or transmitting this
information.
(d) When requested by the person furnishing information pursuant
to this section, the department or the local officer or agency shall
follow the procedures established under Section 25173.
(e) If a person intentionally or negligently fails to furnish and
transmit to the designated offices of the department or the local
officer or agency any existing information required pursuant to this
section, the department may issue an order pursuant to Section 25187
directing compliance with the request.
(f) The department may disclose information submitted pursuant to
this section to authorized representatives, contractors, or other
governmental agencies only in connection with the department's
responsibilities pursuant to this chapter. The department shall
establish procedures to ensure that information submitted pursuant to
this section is used only in connection with these responsibilities
and is not otherwise disseminated without the consent of the person
who provided the information to the department.
(g) The department may also make available to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency any and all information required by
law to be furnished to that agency. The sharing of information
between the department and that agency pursuant to this section does
not constitute a waiver by the department or any affected person of
any privilege or confidentiality provided by law which pertains to
the information.
(h) A person providing information pursuant to subdivision (a) or
(b) shall, at the time of its submission, identify all information
that the person believes is a trade secret. Any information or record
not identified as a trade secret is available to the public, unless
exempted from disclosure by other provisions of law.
(i) Notwithstanding Section 25190, a person who knowingly and
willfully disseminates information protected by Section 25173 or
procedures established by the department pursuant to Section 25173
shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than five
thousand dollars ($5,000), imprisonment in a county jail not to
exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(j) For the purposes of this section, "trade secret" has the same
meaning as set forth in Section 25173.