415 ILCS 5/7
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 415 - ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY|415 ILCS 5/ - Environmental Protection Act.|Title I - General Provisions

 (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1007)Sec. 7.     Public inspection; fees.(a) All files, records, and data of the Agency, the Board, and the  Department shall be open to reasonable public inspection and may be copied  upon payment of reasonable fees to be established where appropriate by the  Agency, the Board, or the Department, except for the following:(i) information which constitutes a trade secret;(ii) information privileged against introduction in     judicial proceedings;(iii) internal communications of the several agencies;(iv) information concerning secret manufacturing     processes or confidential data submitted by any person under this Act.(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, as to information from or  concerning persons subject to NPDES permit requirements:(i) effluent data may under no circumstances be kept     confidential; and(ii) the Agency, the Board, and the Department may     make available to the public for inspection and copying any required records, reports, information, permits, and permit applications obtained from contaminant sources subject to the provisions of Section 12 (f) of this Act; provided that upon a showing satisfactory to the Agency, the Board or the Department, as the case may be, by any person that such information, or any part thereof (other than effluent data) would, if made public, divulge methods or processes entitled to protection as trade secrets of such person, the Agency, the Board, or the Department, as the case may be, shall treat such information as confidential.(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Title or any other law  to the contrary, all emission data reported to or otherwise obtained by  the Agency, the Board or the Department in connection with any examination,  inspection or proceeding under this Act shall be available to the public  to the extent required by the federal Clean Air Act, as amended.(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the quantity and identity of  substances being placed or to be placed in landfills or hazardous waste  treatment, storage or disposal facilities, and the name of the generator  of such substances may under no circumstances be kept confidential.(e) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Title, or any other law  to the contrary, any information accorded confidential treatment may be  disclosed or transmitted to other officers, employees or authorized  representatives of this State or of the United States concerned with or for  the purposes of carrying out this Act or federal environmental statutes and  regulations; provided, however, that such information shall be identified  as confidential by the Agency, the Board, or the Department, as the case  may be.  Any confidential information disclosed or transmitted under this  provision shall be used for the purposes stated herein.(f) Except as provided in this Act neither the  Agency, the Board, nor the Department shall charge any fee for the  performance of its respective duties under this Act.(g) All files, records and data of the Agency, the Board and the  Department shall be made available to the Department of Public Health  pursuant to the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act.  Expenses incurred in the copying and transmittal of files, records and data  requested pursuant to this subsection (g) shall be the responsibility of  the Department of Public Health.    (Source: P.A. 92-574, eff. 6-26-02.)