Assistance in the preparation of environmental statements
33.—(1) Subject to paragraph (6), where the Department is required to prepare an environmental statement in pursuance of regulation 31 it may consult with any person to determine whether that person has in his possession any information which may be relevant to the preparation of the environmental statement and if that person has any such information, he shall make that information available to the Department.
(2) Where the Department has prepared an environmental statement in relation to any proposed project and made that statement available in accordance with regulation 32, it may determine that there is additional information available.
(3) Subject to paragraph (6), the Department may consult with any person to determine whether that person has in his possession any additional information and if that person has any such information, he shall make that information available to the Department.
(4) Where, pursuant to paragraph (3), the Department obtains any additional information it shall—
(a)by general and local advertisement state that the additional information is available, and give details of the places where and times at which a copy of that additional information may be inspected or obtained and, if a charge is to be made for any such copy under regulation 34, the amount of the charge; and
(b)state that any person who wishes to make representations in relation to the additional information should make such representations in writing to the Department at the address specified in the advertisement within 28 days of the date of the publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette.
(5) At the same time as the notice in the Belfast Gazette is published under paragraph (4)(a), the Department shall—
(a)send copies of the additional information to each consultation body;
(b)make available for inspection at an office of the Department or at some other convenient place, for a period of at least 28 days following the date of publication of the notice in the Belfast Gazette, the additional information, the details of the proposed project in question and the environmental statement relating to the project, and ensure that a reasonable number of copies of the information are made available.
(6) Nothing in paragraph (1) or (3) shall require the disclosure by any person of information which is capable of being treated as confidential under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
(7) Any person making information available to the Department in accordance with paragraph (1) or (3) may make a reasonable charge reflecting the cost thereof and the Department shall pay that charge.