The House Environmental Affairs Committee has endorsed legislation allowing corporations to keep secret information submitted along with environmental reports.

Environmentalists and a news media representative objected during a long hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Sponsors said the legislation is needed to meet federal requirements under the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

The legislation requires the Division of Environmental Quality to keep certain proprietary information secret except in specific circumstances.

Current law requires a response to requests for disclosure within 10 days. The new bill extends that to 26 working days plus appeals.

Opponents tried to amend the bill to shorten the time, but lost a vote in committee.

, DataTimes