Any information or material which the applicant or any other party desires to submit in confidence at any stage of the investigation that would disclose national security classified information or business confidential information (trade secrets, commercial or financial information, or any other information considered senstitive or privileged), shall be submitted on separate sheets with the clear legend “National Security Classified” or “Business Confidential,” as appropriate, marked at the top of each sheet. Any information or material submitted that is identified as national security classified must be accompanied at the time of filing by a statement indicating the degree of classification, the authority for the classification, and the identity of the classifying entity. By submitting information or material identified as business confidential, the applicant or other party represents that the information is exempted from public disclosure, either by the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552 et seq.) or by some other specific statutory exemption. Any request for business confidential treatment must be accompanied at the time of filing by a statement justifying non-disclosure and referring to the specific legal authority claimed.

The Department may refuse to accept as business confidential any information or material it considers not intended to be protected under the legal authority claimed by the applicant, or under other applicable legal authority. Any such information or material so refused shall be promptly returned to the submitter and will not be considered. However, such information or material may be resubmitted as non-confidential in which case it will be made part of the public record.