Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4 - CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Agency 25 - DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Chapter 130 - COAL SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION REGULATIONS
Part 705 - Restrictions on Financial Interests of State Employees
Section 4VAC25-130-705.24 - Confidentiality and access to disclosure statements

(a) The provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) shall apply to statements and information obtained pursuant to these regulations.

(b) All statements of employment and financial interest which are filed pursuant to these regulations, and the information shown thereon, shall be maintained only for the purposes of determining whether there are any direct or indirect financial interests in violation of § 45.2-1005 of the Act, and Section 517(g) of the Federal Act. No other use is authorized.

(c) Access to such statements and information shall be restricted to personnel of the Department and of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and State and Federal enforcement authorities (including the U.S. Justice Department) for the purposes for which the information was collected. Access among personnel of the Department shall be further restricted to only those persons specified by the Director as having regular access to the statements and information.

(d) All such statements and information shall be maintained separate and apart from personnel records and other records to which the public could have access.

(e) The filing and information system where such statements and information are stored shall be identified as restricted access and secured against unauthorized access. The Director shall designate a custodian for records maintained in the Division's Office in Big Stone Gap, and another custodian for records maintained in the Department's Offices in Richmond. The duties of these custodians shall be to maintain restricted access and security for their respective records.

(f) Whenever any employee ceases to occupy a listed position which requires the filing of a statement of employment and financial interest, all such statements then on file from such employee shall be returned to the employee and all information systems purged of the data provided by such statements upon request of the employee. In addition, the custodian of the records where such statements are maintained shall periodically update the records by purging them of statements and information pertaining to employees who no longer occupy listed positions.