§ 501.725 Confidential treatment of information in certain filings.

(a) Filing document under seal. (1) The Director may file any document or any part of a document under seal and/or seek a protective order concerning any document if disclosure of the document would be inconsistent with the protection of the public interest or if justice requires protection of any person, including a source or a party, from annoyance, threat, oppression, or undue burden or expense, or the disclosure of the information would be, or might reasonably lead to a disclosure, contrary to Executive Order 12958, as amended by Executive Order 13292, or other Executive orders concerning disclosure of information, Department regulations, or the Privacy Act, or information exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act. The Administrative Law Judge shall allow placement of any such document under seal and/or grant a protective order upon a showing that the disclosure would be inconsistent with any such statute or Executive order, or that the harm resulting from disclosure would outweigh the benefits of disclosure.

(2) A respondent may file any document or any part of a document under seal and/or seek a protective order to limit such document from disclosure to other parties or to the public. The Administrative Law Judge shall allow placement of any document under seal and/or grant a protective order upon a showing that the harm resulting from disclosure would outweigh the benefits of disclosure.