Release of Contractor Confidential Business Information (DEC 2018)

(a) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may find it necessary to release information submitted by the Contractor either in response to this solicitation or pursuant to the provisions of this contract, to individuals not employed by EPA. Business information that is ordinarily entitled to confidential treatment under existing EPA regulations (40 CFR part 2) may be included in the information released to these individuals. Accordingly, by submission of this proposal or signature on this contract or other contracts, the Contractor hereby consents to a limited release of its confidential business information (CBI). An EPA contractor may assert a business confidentiality claim covering part or all of the information submitted by the contractor in a manner that is consistent with 40 CFR 2.203(b). If no such CBI claim accompanies the information when it is received by EPA, it may be made available to the public by EPA without further notice to the EPA contactor, pursuant to 40 CFR 2.203(a), and will not require the additional measures set forth in this section.

(b) Possible circumstances where the EPA may release the Contractor's CBI include, but are not limited to the following:

(1) To EPA contractors and other federal agencies and their contractors tasked with recovery, or assisting the Agency in the recovery, of Federal funds expended pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. 9607, as amended, (CERCLA or Superfund) and/or Sec. 311(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) (33 U.S.C. 1321(c));

(2) To the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and contractors employed by DOJ for use in advising the EPA and representing the EPA or other federal agencies in procedures for the recovery of Superfund expenditures and costs and damages to be deposited to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF);

(3) To the U.S. Department of the Treasury and contractors employed by that department for use in collecting costs to be deposited to the Superfund or the OSLTF;

(4) To parties liable, or potentially liable, for costs under CERCLA Sec. 107 (42 U.S.C. 9607), OPA Sec. 1002 (33 U.S.C. 2702), or CWA Sec. 311 (33 U.S.C. 1321) and their insurers or guarantors (`Potentially Responsible Parties') for purposes of facilitating collection, settlement or litigation of claims against such parties;

(5) To EPA contractors who, for purposes of performing the work required under the respective contracts, require access to information that the Agency obtained under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); the CWA (33 U.S.C.1251 et seq.); the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.); the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); CERCLA (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.); or the OPA (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.);

(6) To EPA contractors tasked with assisting the Agency in handling and processing information and documents in the administration of Agency contracts, such as providing both preaward and post award audit support and specialized technical support to the Agency's technical evaluation panels;

(7) To employees of grantees working at EPA under the Senior Environmental Employment (SEE) Program;

(8) To Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, or Chairman of a Congressional Committee or Subcommittee;

(9) To entities such as the United States Government Accountability Office, boards of contract appeals, and the Courts in the resolution of solicitation or contract protests and disputes;

(10) To EPA contractor employees engaged in information systems analysis, development, operation, and maintenance, including performing data processing and management functions for the EPA; and

(11) Pursuant to a court order or court-supervised agreement.

(c) The EPA recognizes an obligation to protect the contractor from competitive harm that may result from the release of such information to a competitor. (See also the clauses in this document entitled “Screening Business Information for Claims of Confidentiality” and “Treatment of Confidential Business Information.”) Except where otherwise provided by law, CBI shall be released under paragraphs (b)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7) or (10) of this clause only pursuant to a confidentiality agreement.

(d) With respect to EPA contractors, EPAAR § 1552.235-71 will be used as the confidentiality agreement. With respect to contractors for other federal agencies, EPA will expect these agencies to enter into similar confidentiality agreements with their contractors. With respect to Potentially Responsible Parties, such confidentiality agreements may permit further disclosure to other entities where necessary to further settlement or litigation of claims under CERCLA, the CWA, or the OPA. Such entities include, but are not limited to, accounting firms and technical experts able to analyze the information, provided that they also agree to be bound by an appropriate confidentiality agreement.

(e) This clause does not authorize the EPA to release the Contractor's CBI to the public pursuant to a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act.

(f) The Contractor agrees to include this clause, including this paragraph (f), in all subcontracts at all levels awarded pursuant to this contract that require the furnishing of confidential business information by the subcontractor.