[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 43, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 43CFR4.31]

[Page 53-55]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
PART 4--DEPARTMENT HEARINGS AND APPEALS PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart B--General Rules Relating to Procedures and Practice
 
Sec. 4.31  Request for limiting disclosure of confidential information.

    (a) If any person submitting a document in a proceeding under this 
part claims that some or all of the information contained in that 
document is exempt from the mandatory public disclosure requirements of 
the Freedom of

[[Page 54]]

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), is information referred to in section 
1905 of title 18 of the United States Code (disclosure of confidential 
information), or is otherwise exempt by law from public disclosure, the 
person:
    (1) Must indicate in the document that it is exempt, or contains 
information which is exempt, from disclosure;
    (2) Must request the presiding officer or appeals board not to 
disclose such information except to the parties to the proceeding under 
the conditions provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and 
must serve the request upon the parties to the proceeding. The request 
shall include the following items:
    (i) A copy of the document from which has been deleted the 
information for which the person requests nondisclosure; if it is not 
practicable to submit such copy of the document because deletion of the 
information would render the document unintelligible, a description of 
the document may be substituted;
    (ii) A statement specifying why the information is confidential, if 
the information for which nondisclosure is requested is claimed to come 
within the exception in 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) for trade secrets and 
commercial or financial information:
    (iii) A statement specifying the justification for nondisclosure, if 
the information for which nondisclosure is requested is not within the 
exception in 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4).
    (b) If information is submitted in accordance with paragraph (a) of 
this section, the information will not be disclosed except as provided 
in the Freedom of Information Act, in accordance with part 2 of this 
title, or upon request from a party to the proceeding under the 
restrictions stated in paragraph (c) of this section.
    (c) At any time, a party may request the presiding officer or 
appeals board to direct a person submitting information under paragraph 
(a) of this section to provide that information to the party. The 
presiding officer or board will so direct, unless paragraph (d) of this 
section is applicable, if the party requesting the information agrees 
under oath in writing:
    (1) Not to use or disclose the information except in the context of 
the proceeding conducted pursuant to this part; and
    (2) To return all copies of the information at the conclusion of the 
proceeding to the person submitting the information under paragraph (a) 
of this section.
    (d) If any person submitting a document in a proceeding under this 
Part other than a hearing conducted pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 554 claims that 
a disclosure of information in that document to another party to the 
proceeding is prohibited by law, notwithstanding the protection provided 
under paragraph (c) of this section, such person:
    (1) Must indicate in the original document that it contains 
information of which disclosure is prohibited;
    (2) Must request that the presiding officer or appeals board review 
such evidence as a basis for its decision without disclosing it to the 
other party or parties, and serve the request upon the parties to the 
proceeding. The request shall include a copy of the document or 
description as required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section and state 
why disclosure is prohibited, citing pertinent statutory or regulatory 
authority. If the prohibition on disclosure is intended to protect the 
interest of a person who is not a party to the proceeding, the party 
making the request must demonstrate that such person refused to consent 
to the disclosure of the evidence to other parties to the proceeding.
    (3) If the presiding officer or an appeals board denies the request, 
the person who made the request shall be given an opportunity to 
withdraw the evidence before it is considered by the presiding official 
or board unless a Freedom of Information Act request, administrative 
appeal from the denial of a request, or lawsuit seeking release of the 
information is pending.
    (e) If the person submitting a document does not submit the copy of 
the document or description required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) or (d)(2) of 
this section, the presiding officer or appeals board may assume that 
there is no objection to public disclosure of the document in its 
entirety.

[[Page 55]]

    (f) Where a decision by a presiding officer or appeals board is 
based in whole or in part on evidence not included in the public record 
or disclosed to all parties, the decision shall so state, specifying the 
nature of the evidence and the provision of law under which disclosure 
was denied, and the evidence so considered shall be retained under seal 
as part of the official record.

[53 FR 49661, Dec. 9, 1988]