(a) For the purpose of developing or assisting in the development of a standard or regulation or of enforcement of this chapter, an owner and operator shall, upon the request of an officer or employee of the State duly designated by the Secretary of the Department, furnish information relating to the tank and/or its contents and shall permit the designated officer or employee at all reasonable times to have access to and to copy all records relating to the tank and/or its contents and to conduct monitoring or require remediation activities, pursuant to § 7406A of this title, which the designated officer or employee deems necessary. For the purpose of developing or assisting in the development of a standard or regulation or of enforcement of this chapter, the designated officer or employee is authorized to:
(1) Enter at reasonable times the facility or other place where an aboveground storage tank or its records are located. The owner and/or operators shall permit unannounced inspections of tanks pursuant to this subsection; and
(2) Inspect and obtain samples from any person of regulated substances and to conduct monitoring of tanks, contents or surrounding soils, water and/or air. An inspection must be commenced and completed with reasonable promptness.
(b) In providing data under this chapter, a person required to provide data may:
(1) Designate the data which the owner or operator of the facility or tank believes constitutes trade secrets and commercial or financial information which the owner or operator believes is of a privileged or confidential nature, and the reasons for such belief; and
(2) Submit the designated secret, privileged or confidential data separately from other data submitted under this chapter, provided that the secret, privileged or confidential data qualifies to be withheld as a nonpublic record in accordance with provisions and regulations of Chapter 100 of Title 29.