(a) In general Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, any information reported
to, or otherwise obtained by, the Administrator (or any representative of the Administrator) under this chapter, which is exempt from disclosure pursuant to subsection (a) of section 552 of title 5 by reason of subsection (b)(4) of such section, shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any other section of this chapter, not be disclosed by the Administrator or by any officer or employee of the United States, except that such information -
- (1) shall be disclosed to any officer or employee of the United States -
- (A) in connection with the official duties of such officer or employee under
any law for the protection of health or the environment, or
- (B) for specific law enforcement purposes;
- (2) shall be disclosed to contractors with the United States and employees of
such contractors if in the opinion of the Administrator such disclosure is necessary for the satisfactory performance by the contractor of a contract with the United States entered into on or after October 11, 1976, for the performance of work in connection with this chapter and under such conditions as the Administrator may specify;
- (3) shall be disclosed if the Administrator determines it necessary to
protect health or the environment against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment; or
- (4) may be disclosed when relevant in any proceeding under this chapter,
except that disclosure in such a proceeding shall be made in such manner as to preserve confidentiality to the extent practicable without impairing the proceeding. In any proceeding under section 552(a) of title 5 to obtain information the disclosure of which has been denied because of the provisions of this subsection, the Administrator may not rely on section 552(b)(3) of such title to sustain the Administrator's action.