The subpart contains miscellaneous provisions pursuant to the Act which are applicable to exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits.

(a)(1) In addition to the information specified elsewhere in the part and in 15 CFR part 970, each licensee and permittee must keep such records, consistent with standard accounting principles, as specified by the Administrator in the license or permit. Such records shall include information which will fully disclose expenditures for exploration for, or commercial recovery of hard mineral resources in the area under license or permit, and any other information which will facilitate an effective audit of these expenditures.

(2) The Administrator and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall have access, for purposes of audit and examination to any books, documents, papers, and records of licensees and permittees which are necessary and directly pertinent to verification of the expenditures referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(b) In addition to the information specified elsewhere in this part and in 15 CFR part 970, each applicant, licensee or permittee will be required to submit to the Administrator, upon request, data or other information the Administrator may reasonably need for purposes of:

(1) Making determinations with respect to the issuance, revocation, modification, or suspension of the license or permit in question;

(2) Evaluating the effectiveness of license or permit TCRs;

(3) Compliance with the biennial Congressional report requirement contained in section 309 of the Act; and

(4) Evaluation of the exploration or commercial recovery activities conducted by the licensee or permittee.

(a) General. Procedures for requesting confidential treatment of information submitted to, reported to, or collected by the Administrator pursuant to this part and 15 CFR part 970 shall be in accordance with 15 CFR part 4. Procedures for requesting records and handling requests for records containing information submitted to, reported to, or collected by the Administrator pursuant to this part and 15 CFR part 970 shall also be in accordance with 15 CFR part 4.

(b) Protection of confidential information transmitted by the Administrator to other agencies. Each copy of information for which confidential treatment has been requested which is transmitted by the Administrator to other Federal agencies will be accompanied by a cover letter containing:

(1) A request that the other Federal agency maintain the information in confidence in accordance with applicable law (including the Trade Secret Act, 18 U.S.C. 1905) and any applicable protective agreement entered into by the Administrator and the Federal agency receiving the information;

(2) A request that the other Federal agency notify the Administrator immediately upon receipt of any request for disclosure of the information; and

(3) A request that all copies of the information be returned to the Administrator for secure storage or disposal promptly after the Federal agency determines that it no longer needs the information for its official use.

(c) When satisfied that adequate protection against public disclosure exists, applicants should provide the State agency with confidential and proprietary information which the State agency maintains is necessary to make a reasoned decision on the consistency of the proposal. State agency requests for such information must be related to the necessity of having such information to assess adequately the coastal zone effects of the proposal.

(a) Any licensee or permittee may at any time, without penalty:

(1) Surrender to the Administrator a license or permit issued to the licensee or permittee; or

(2) Relinquish to the Administrator, in whole or in part, any right to conduct any exploration or commercial recovery activities authorized by the license or permit.

(b) Any licensee or permittee who surrenders, or relinquishes any right under, a license or permit will remain liable with respect to all violations and penalties incurred, and damage to persons or property caused, by the licensee or permittee as a result of activities engaged in by the licensee or permittee under the license or permit.

The Administrator may amend the regulations in this part and 15 CFR part 970 at any time as the Administrator determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to provide for the conservation of natural resources, protection of the environment, or the safety of life and property at sea. The amended regulations will apply to all exploration or commercial recovery activities conducted under any license or permit issued or maintained pursuant to this part or 15 CFR part 970, except that amended regulations which provide for conservation of natural resources will apply to activities conducted under an existing license or permit during the present term of that license or permit only if the Administrator determines that the amended regulations providing for conservation of natural resources will not impose serious or irreparable economic hardship on the licensee or permittee. Any amendment to regulations under this section will be made pursuant to the procedures in subpart I of this part.

Except where otherwise specified, Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Government holidays will be included in computing the time period allowed for filing any document or paper under this part or 15 CFR part 970, but when a time period expires on any of these days, that time period will be extended to include the next following Federal Government work day. Filing periods expire at the close of business on the day specified, for the office specified.