(a) The Administrator may conduct investigations, inspections, audits and examinations, and test the equipment, facilities, rolling stock and operations of a recipient's public transportation system.

(b) To the extent practicable, the Administrator will provide notice to a recipient prior to initiating any activities carried out under the authorities listed in paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) The Administrator will conduct activities carried out under this section at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, as determined by the Administrator.

(d) In carrying out this section, the Administrator may require the production of relevant documents and records, take evidence, issue subpoenas and depositions, and prescribe recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

(a) The Administrator may grant a recipient's request for confidential treatment of records produced under § 670.11, on the basis that the records are—

(1) Exempt from the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552);

(2) Required to be held in confidence by 18 U.S.C. 1905; or

(3) Otherwise exempt from public disclosure under Federal or State laws.

(b) A recipient must submit the record that contains the alleged confidential information with the request for confidential treatment.

(c) A recipient's request for confidential treatment must include a statement justifying nondisclosure and provide the specific legal basis upon which the request for nondisclosure should be granted.

(d) A recipient's justification statement must indicate whether the recipient is requesting confidentiality for the entire record, or whether non-confidential information in the record can be reasonably segregated from the confidential information. If a recipient is requesting confidentiality for only a portion of the record, the request must include a copy of the entire record and a second copy of the record where the purportedly confidential information has been redacted. The Administrator may assume there is no objection to public disclosure of the record in its entirety if the requestor does not submit a second copy of the record with the confidential information redacted at the time that the request is submitted.

(e) A recipient must mark any record containing any information for which confidential treatment is requested as follows—“CONFIDENTIAL” or “CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION” in bold letters.

(f) The Administrator will provide notice to a recipient of his or her decision to approve or deny a request, in whole or in part, no less than five (5) days prior to the public disclosure of a record by FTA. The Administrator will provide an opportunity for a recipient to respond to his or her decision prior to the public disclosure of a record.