Section 25538 Of Article 2. Hazardous Materials Management From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.95. >> Article 2.
25538
. (a) If a stationary source believes that any information
required to be reported, submitted, or otherwise provided to the
administering agency pursuant to this article involves the release of
a trade secret, the stationary source shall provide the information
to the administering agency and shall notify the administering agency
in writing of that belief. Upon receipt of a claim of trade secret
related to an RMP, the administering agency shall review the claim
and shall segregate properly substantiated trade secret information
from information that shall be made available to the public upon
request in accordance with the California Public Records Act (Chapter
3.5 (commencing with Section 6250), Division 7, Title 1, Government
Code). As used in this section, "trade secret" has the same meaning
as in subdivision (d) of Section 6254.7 of the Government Code and
Section 1060 of the Evidence Code.
(b) Except as otherwise specified in this section, the
administering agency may not disclose any properly substantiated
trade secret that is so designated by the owner or operator of a
stationary source.
(c) The administering agency may disclose trade secrets received
by the administering agency pursuant to this article to authorized
officers or employees of other governmental agencies only in
connection with the official duties of that officer or employee
pursuant to any law for the protection of health and safety.
(d) Any officer or employee or former officer or employee of the
administering agency or any other government agency who, because of
that employment or official position, has possession of or access to
information designated as a trade secret pursuant to this section
shall not knowingly and willfully disclose the information in any
manner to any person not authorized to receive the information
pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding Section 25515, any person
who violates this subdivision, and who knows that disclosure of this
information to the general public is prohibited by the section,
shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in the county
jail for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(e) Any information prohibited from disclosure pursuant to any
federal statute or regulation shall not be disclosed.
(f) This section does not authorize any stationary source to
refuse to disclose to the administering agency any information
required pursuant to this article.
(g) (1) Upon receipt of a request for the release of information
to the public that includes information that the stationary source
has notified the administering agency is a trade secret pursuant to
subdivision (a), the administering agency shall notify the stationary
source in writing of the request by certified mail, return receipt
requested. The owner or operator of the stationary source shall have
30 days from receipt of the notification to provide the administering
agency with any materials or information intended to supplement the
information submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) and needed to
substantiate the claim of trade secret. The administering agency
shall review the claim of trade secret and shall determine whether
the claim is properly substantiated.
(2) The administering agency shall inform the stationary source in
writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, of any
determination by the administering agency that some, or all, of a
claim of trade secret has not been substantiated. Not earlier than 30
days after the receipt by a stationary source of notice of the
determination, the administering agency shall release the information
to the public, unless, prior to the expiration of the 30-day period,
the stationary source files an action in an appropriate court for a
declaratory judgment that the information is subject to protection
under subdivision (b) or for an injunction prohibiting disclosure of
the information to the public, and promptly notifies the
administering agency of that action.