NRS459.3822. Records, reports and other information of facility: Submission by owner or operator of facility; availability for public inspection; confidentiality of information protected as trade secret; regulations.

      1.  The owner or operator of a facility shall, upon request, submit any records, reports or other information to the Division that the Division deems necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of NRS 459.380 to 459.3874, inclusive, and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

      2.  Except as otherwise provided in this section, any records, reports or other information obtained pursuant to NRS 459.380 to 459.3874, inclusive, or any regulation adopted pursuant thereto must be made available to the public for inspection and copying.

      3.  The Division shall protect the confidentiality of any information obtained by the Division, including, without limitation, any information obtained through an observation made by the Division during a visit to a facility if:

      (a) The owner or operator of the facility from which the information was obtained or which was visited requests such protection; and

      (b) The information satisfies the conditions for protection as a trade secret pursuant to subsection 4.

      4.  Information is entitled to protection as a trade secret under this section only if:

      (a) The information has not been disclosed to any other person, other than a member of a local emergency planning committee, an officer or employee of the United States or a state or local government, an employee of such a person, or a person who is bound by an agreement of confidentiality, and the owner or operator of the facility has taken reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of the information and intends to continue to take such measures;

      (b) The information is not required to be disclosed, or otherwise made available, to the public under any other federal or state law;

      (c) Disclosure of the information is likely to cause substantial harm to the competitive position of the owner or operator of the facility; and

      (d) The chemical identity of a substance, if that is the information, is not readily discoverable through analysis of the product containing it or scientific knowledge of how such a product must be made.

      5.  The State Environmental Commission shall adopt regulations for the protection of the confidentiality of information entitled to protection as a trade secret pursuant to this section.

      6.  The person requesting the copy or copies of the public records, shall tender or pay to the Division such fee as may be prescribed for the service of copying.

      (Added to NRS by 1991, 2008; A 2003, 1603)