(a) These regulations shall apply to all final determinations made by the Committee, including all objections; and to any other Committee records reasonably described and requested by a person in accordance with these regulations—except to the extent that such material is exempt in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section. Where a request does not reasonably describe the requested information, the requester will be asked to provide more specific information.

(b) Requests for inspection and copies shall not be granted with respect to matters that are:

(1) Related to records:

(i) Specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, and

(ii) In fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive Order;

(2) Related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of the Committee;

(3) Specifically exempted from disclosure by statute;

(4) Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential;

(5) Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters which would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with the Committee;

(6) Personnel, medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(7) Records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that the production of such law enforcement records or information:

(i) Could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,

(ii) Would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication,

(iii) Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,

(iv) Could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, including a State, local, or foreign agency or authority or any private institution, which furnished information on a confidential basis and, in the case of a record or information compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course of a criminal investigation, or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation, information furnished by a confidential source,

(v) Would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law, or

(vi) Could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual;

(8) Contained in or related to examination, operation, or condition of reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions; or

(9) Geological and geophysical information and data, including maps concerning wells.

(c) Whenever a request is made which involves access to records described in paragraph (b)(7)(i) of this section and:

(1) The investigation or proceeding involves a possible violation of criminal law; and

(2) There is reason to believe that:

(i) The subject of the investigation or proceeding is not aware of its pendency, and

(ii) Disclosure of the existence of the records could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings, then the agency may, during only such time as that circumstance continues, treat the records as not subject to the requirements of this section.

(d) Whenever informant records maintained by a criminal law enforcement agency under an informant's name or personal identifier are requested by a third party according to the informant's name or personal identifier, the agency may treat the records as not subject to the requirements of this section unless the informant's status as an informant has been officially confirmed.

(e) Whenever a request is made which involves access to records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation pertaining to foreign intelligence or counterintelligence, or international terrorism, and the existence of the records is classified information as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the Bureau may, as long as the existence of the records remains classified information, treat the records as not subject to the requirements of this section.