[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 31]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR1517.5]

[Page 907-908]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
               CHAPTER V--COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
 
PART 1517_PUBLIC MEETING PROCEDURES OF THE COUNCIL ON 
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  1517.5  Procedure for closing meetings.

    (a) A majority of the entire membership of the Council may vote to 
close to public observation a meeting or a portion or portions thereof, 
or to withhold information pertaining to such meeting. A separate vote 
of the members of the Council shall be taken with respect to each 
meeting of the Council, a portion or portions of which are proposed to 
be closed to the observation of the public or with respect to any 
information concerning such meetings or portion thereof. A single vote 
may be taken with respect to a series of meetings, a portion or portions 
of which are proposed to be closed to the public, or with respect to 
information concerning such series of meetings, so long as each meeting 
in such series involves the same particular matters and is scheduled to 
be held no more than thirty days after the initial meeting in such 
series. The vote of each member of the Council participating in a vote 
shall be recorded and no proxies shall be allowed.
    (b) Whenever any person whose interest may be directly affected by a 
portion of a meeting requests that the Council close that portion to 
public observation for any of the reasons referred to in Sec.  1517.4(a) 
the Council, upon request of any of the members of the Council, shall 
decide by recorded vote whether to close that portion of the meeting.
    (c) For every meeting or portion thereof closed under this part, the 
General Counsel of the Council before such meeting is closed shall 
publicly certify that, in his or her opinion, the meeting may properly 
be closed to the public stating each relevant exemptive provision. The 
Council shall retain a copy of

[[Page 908]]

the General Counsel's certification, together with a statement from the 
presiding officer of the meeting setting forth the time and place of the 
meeting and listing the persons present.
    (d) Within one day of any vote taken on a proposal to close a 
meeting, the Council shall make publicly available a record reflecting 
the vote of each member on the question. In addition, within one day of 
any vote which closes a portion or portions of a meeting to the public, 
the Council shall make publicly available a full written explanation of 
its closure action together with a list naming all persons expected to 
attend and identifying their affiliation, unless such disclosure would 
reveal the information that the meeting itself was closed to protect.
    (e) Following any announcement that the Council intends to close a 
meeting or portion thereof, any person may make a request that the 
meeting or portion thereof be opened. Such request shall be made of the 
Chairman of the Council who shall ensure that the request is circulated 
to all members of the Council on the same business day on which it is 
received. The request shall set forth the reasons why the requestor 
believes the meeting should be open. The Council upon the request of any 
member or its General Counsel, shall vote on the request.