69.—(1) The Agency shall, after consultation with such persons or bodies (if any) as may be prescribed, establish and maintain, or arrange to have established and maintained, a data base related to environmental quality.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the data base shall include information on—

(a) ambient air quality,

(b) the quality of inland waters, estuarial and coastal waters, and groundwaters,

(c) soil quality,

(d) noise levels,

(e) inventories of emissions to the environment, and

(f) such other matters as may be prescribed.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the Agency may require any public authority to make available to it, in such manner and at such times as it may specify, any information related to environmental quality in the control or possession of that authority and the authority shall not unreasonably withhold such information.

(4) (a) The Agency may make arrangements for information related to environmental quality held by any person or body to be supplied to it in such manner and on such terms and conditions as may be agreed and for such information to be included in the data base.

(b) The Agency may compile and maintain a register of sources of data related to environmental quality and the register shall be available for inspection by any person free of charge at the Agency's headquarters during office hours.

(5) The Agency shall, subject to subsection (4) and section 39 and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, make arrangements for public access to information contained in a data base prepared under this section.