§22-17-12. Confidentiality.

(a) Any records, reports or information obtained from any persons under this article shall be available to the public, except that upon a showing satisfactory to the director by any person that records, reports or information, or a particular part thereof, to which the director or any officer, employee, or representative thereof has access under this section, if made public, would divulge information entitled to protection under section 1905 of title 18 of the United States Code, such information or particular portion thereof is confidential in accordance with the purposes of this section, except that such record, report, document or information may be disclosed to other officers, employees or authorized representatives of the United States environmental protection agency or of this state if such officers, employees or authorized representatives are implementing the provisions of this article.

(b) Any person who knowingly and willfully divulges or discloses any information entitled to protection under this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned.

(c) In submitting data under this article, a person required to provide such data may designate the data which he or she believes is entitled to protection under this section and submit such designated data separately from other data submitted under this article. A designation under this subsection shall be made in writing and in such manner as the director may prescribe.