[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR7.17]

[Page 63-64]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
          Subtitle A--Office of the Secretary of Transportation
 
PART 7_PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
Subpart C_Availability of Reasonably Described Records Under the Freedom 
                           of Information Act
 
Sec.  7.17  Consultation with submitters of commercial and financial 
information.

    (a) If a request is received for information that has been 
designated by the submitter as confidential commercial information, or 
which DOT has some other reason to believe may contain information of 
the type described in Sec.  7.13(c)(4), the submitter of such 
information will, except as is provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of 
this section, be notified expeditiously and asked to submit any written 
objections to release. At the same time, the requestor will be notified 
that notice and an opportunity to comment are being provided to the 
submitter. The submitter will, to the extent permitted by law, be 
afforded a reasonable period of time within which to provide a detailed 
statement of any such objections. The submitter's statement shall 
specify all grounds for withholding any of the information. The burden 
shall be on the submitter to identify all information for which exempt 
treatment is sought and to persuade the agency that the information 
should not be disclosed.
    (b) The responsible DOT component will, to the extent permitted by 
law, consider carefully a submitter's objections and specific grounds 
for nondisclosure prior to determining whether to disclose business 
information. Whenever a decision is made to disclose such information 
over the objection of a submitter, the office responsible for the 
decision will forward to the submitter a written notice of intent to 
disclose that will, to the extent permitted by law, be forwarded to the 
submitter a reasonable number of days prior to the specified date upon 
which disclosure is intended. At the same time the submitter is 
notified, the requestor will be notified of the decision to disclose 
information. The written notice will include:
    (1) A statement of the reasons for which the submitter's disclosure 
objections were not accepted;
    (2) A description of the business information to be disclosed; and
    (3) A specific disclosure date.

[[Page 64]]

    (c) The notice requirements of this section will not apply if:
    (1) The office responsible for the decision determines that the 
information should not be disclosed;
    (2) The information lawfully has been published or otherwise made 
available to the public; or
    (3) Disclosure of the information is required by law (other than 5 
U.S.C. 552).
    (d) The procedures established in this section will not apply in the 
case of:
    (1) Business information submitted to the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration and addressed in 49 CFR Part 512.
    (2) Information contained in a document to be filed or in oral 
testimony that is sought to be withheld pursuant to Rule 39 of the Rules 
of Practice in Aviation Economic Proceedings (14 CFR 302.39).
    (e) Whenever a requestor brings suit seeking to compel disclosure of 
confidential commercial information, the responsible DOT component will 
promptly notify the submitter.