Section 1702.13  Public Availability of Information

a)         Except as provided in Section 1702.13(b), all information submitted to the Department under this Part shall be made immediately available for public inspection and copying at the Department's Springfield and Benton Land Reclamation Division Offices until at least three (3) years after expiration of the period during which the subject mining area is active.

b)         The Department may keep information submitted under this Part confidential if the person submitting it requests in writing, at the time of submission, that it be kept confidential and the information concerns trade secrets or is privileged commercial or financial information of the persons intending to conduct operations under this Part.

c)         Information requested to be held as confidential under Section 1702.13(b) shall not be made publicly available until after notice and opportunity to be heard is afforded persons both seeking and opposing disclosure of the information.