(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this section, or prohibited from disclosure under state or federal law, records in the possession of the commission are open to public inspection at reasonable times.
(b) The commission may, by regulation, classify records submitted to it by regulated pipeline carriers or pipelines as privileged records that are not open to the public for inspection. However, if a record involves an application or tariff filing pending before the commission, the commission may release the record for the purpose of preparing for or making a presentation to the commission in the proceeding if the record or information derived from the record is considered by the commission to be relevant to an issue in the proceeding, and if the record or information will be used by the commission in the proceeding. A record or information that the commission releases under this subsection may be released only after giving to the party that filed the record or information reasonable notice of its intention to release the record or information and opportunity to object to that release.
(c) A document filed with the commission that relates to the finances or operations of a pipeline subject to federal jurisdiction and that is in addition to or other than the copy of a document required to be filed with the appropriate federal agency is open to inspection only by an appropriate officer or official of the state for relevant purposes of the state.
(d) A person may make written objection to the public disclosure of information contained in a record filed under the provisions of this chapter or of information obtained by the commission or by the attorney general under the provisions of this chapter, stating the grounds for the objection. When an objection is made, the commission shall order the information withheld from public disclosure if the information adversely affects the interest of the person making written objection and disclosure is not required in the interest of the public.
(e) A commissioner may certify as to all official records of the commission under this section and may certify as to all official acts of the commission under this chapter.
(f) In this section, “record” means a report, file, book, account, paper, or application, and the facts and information contained in it.