[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51403-51405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25156]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Export Administration
National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for
Public Comments
AGENCY: Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of
Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments on the potential market
impact of proposed disposals of excess commodities currently held in
the National Defense Stockpile.
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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the interagency
National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee is seeking public
comment on the potential market impact of Department of Defense
proposed material disposals from the National Defense Stockpile under
the Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 Annual Materials Plan (AMP) and revisions to
the FY 1997 AMP.
DATES: Comments must be received by November 1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Written comments (10 copies) should be sent to Richard V.
Meyers, Co-Chair, Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of
Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, U.S. Department
of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic
Industries and Economic Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202)
482-3634; or Richard Watkins, International Commodities Division, U.S.
Department of State, (202) 647-2871; co-chairs of the National Defense
Stockpile Market Impact Committee.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of the Strategic and
Critical Materials Stock Piling Act of 1979, as amended, (50 U.S.C. 98
et seq.), the Department of Defense (as National Defense Stockpile
Manager) maintains a stockpile of strategic and critical materials to
supply the military, industrial, and essential civilian needs of the
United States for national defense. Section 3314 of the Fiscal Year
(FY) 1993 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (50 U.S.C. 98h-1)
formally established a Market Impact Committee (the Committee) to
``advise the National Defense Stockpile Manager on the projected
domestic and foreign economic effects of all acquisitions and disposals
of materials from the stockpile * * *.'' The Committee must also
balance market impact concerns with the statutory requirement to
protect the Government against avoidable loss.
The Committee is comprised of representatives from the Departments
of Commerce, State, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury
and the
[[Page 51404]]
Federal Emergency Management Agency and is co-chaired by the
Departments of Commerce and State. The FY 1993 NDAA directs the
Committee to ``consult from time to time with representatives of
producers, processors and consumers of the types of materials stored in
the stockpile.''
The Committee will soon begin its consideration of Defenses
proposed material disposals from the National Defense Stockpile under
the FY 1998 Annual Materials Plan (AMP) and revisions to the FY 1997
AMP. In order for the Committee to obtain sufficient information to
prepare its recommendations to Defense, the Committee requests that
interested parties provide comment on the potential market impact of
disposals of the commodities identified below.
The proposed maximum disposal quantity for each listed material is
included. Please note that these quantities are not sales targets. They
are only a statement of the proposed maximum disposal quantity of each
material that may be sold in a particular fiscal year. The quantity of
each material that will actually be offered for sale will depend on the
market for the material at the time of the offering. It will also
depend on the maximum disposal quantity of each material approved for
disposal by the Congress.
Proposed Fiscal Year 1998 AMP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current FY
1997 Proposed FY
Material Units (Effective 1998
10-1-96) Quantity
Quantity
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive....... ST 6,000 6,000
Aluminum Oxide, Fused Crude.... ST 30,000 30,000
Analgesics..................... AMALB 2,500 2,500
Antimony....................... ST 3,000 3,000
Asbestos (all types)........... ST 20,000 20,000
Bauxite, Metallurgical LDT 600,000 600,000
(Jamaican).
Bauxite, Metallurgical LDT 300,000 300,000
(Surinam).
Bauxite, Refractory............ LCT 80,000 80,000
Beryl Ore...................... ST 2,000 2,000
Bismuth........................ LB 300,000 300,000
Cadmium........................ LB 1,200,000 1,200,000
Celestite...................... SDT 3,600 3,600
Chromite, Chemical............. SDT 100,000 100,000
Chromite, Metallurgical........ SDT 250,000 250,000
Chromite, Refractory........... SDT 100,000 100,000
Chromium, Ferro................ ST 25,000 50,000
Diamond, Bort.................. CT 1,000,000 1,000,000
Diamond Dies, Small PCS........ PC ........... 25,473
Diamond Stone.................. CT 2,000,000 2,000,000
Fluorspar, Acid................ SDT 100,000 180,000
Fluorspar, Metallurgical....... SDT 150,000 50,000
Graphite, Natural Malagasy..... ST 1,220 1,220
Iodine......................... LB 450,000 450,000
Jewel Bearings................. PC 31,000,000 31,000,000
Kyanite........................ SDT 1,200 1,200
Lead........................... ST 60,000 60,000
Manganese, Battery Grade SDT 60,000 20,000
Natural.
Manganese, Battery Grade SDT 3,011 3,011
Synthetic.
Manganese, Chemical Grade...... SDT 40,000 40,000
Manganese, Ferro Alloys........ ST 50,000 50,000
Manganese, Metal Electrolytic.. ST 2,000 2,000
Manganese, Metallurgical Grade. SDT 400,000 250,000
Mercury........................ FL 20,000 20,000
Mica (All Types)............... 2,260,000 2,260,000
Mica, Muscovite Block.......... LB
Mica, Muscovite Film........... LB
Mica, Muscovite Splittings..... LB
Mica, Phlogopite Splittings.... LB
Nickel......................... ST 10,000 10,000
Quinidine...................... Av Oz 200,000 750,000
Quinine........................ Av Oz 200,000 750,000
Sebacic Acid................... LB 1,000,000 1,000,000
Silicon Carbide................ ST 4,500 9,000
Silver (for coinage)........... Tr Oz 9,000,000 9,000,000
Talc........................... ST 1,000 1,000
Thorium Nitrate................ LB 1,000,000 1,000,000
Tin............................ MT 12,000 12,000
Vanadium Pentoxide............. ST V 200 200
Vegetable Tannin Extract, LT 5,000 7,500
Chestnut.
Vegetable Tannin Extract, LT 5,000 10,000
Quebrac..
Vegetable Tannin Extract, LT 5,000 10,000
Wattle.
Zinc........................... ST 50,000 50,000
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[[Page 51405]]
Proposed Revisions to Fiscal Year 1997 AMP
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Material Units Quantity
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Chromium, Ferro........................ SDT 35,000
Diamond Dies, Small PCs................ CT 25,473
Fluorspar, Acid Grade.................. SDT 180,000
Fluorspar, Metallurgical............... SDT 50,000
Quinidine.............................. Av Oz 750,000
Quinine................................ Av Oz 750,000
Silicone Carbide....................... ST 9,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut..... LT 7,500
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebrac...... LT 10,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle....... LT 10,000
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The following list of new materials is presently under
consideration by the Congress for disposal authority in both FY 1997
and FY 1998. The Committee is seeking public comment on the potential
market impact of the sale of these materials in the event that Congress
does grant such disposal authority.
Proposed New Material Disposal Authority for FY 1997 and FY 1998
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 1997 FY 1998
Material Units Quantity Quantity
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminum........................ ST 62,881 62,881
Cobalt.......................... LBCO 6,000,000 6,000,000
Columbium, Ferro................ LBCB 60,000 100,000
Germanium....................... KG 4,000 4,000
Indium.......................... TROZ 35,000 35,000
Palladium....................... TROZ 15,000 15,000
Platinum........................ TROZ 10,000 10,000
Rubber.......................... LT 125,000 125,000
Tantalum Carbide Powder......... LBTA 2,000 2,000
Tantalum Minerals............... LBTA 100,000 100,000
Tantalum Oxide.................. LBTA 20,000 20,000
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The Committee requests that interested parties provide written
comments, supporting data and documentation, and any other relevant
information on the potential market impact of the sale of any commodity
in the above three lists. Although comments in response to this Notice
must be received by November 1, 1996 to ensure full consideration by
the Committee, interested parties are encouraged to submit additional
comments and supporting information at any time thereafter to keep the
Committee informed as to the market impact of the sale of the AMP
commodities. Public comment is an important element of the Committee's
market impact review process.
Public comments received will be made available at the Department
of Commerce for public inspection and copying. Material that is
national security classified or business confidential will be exempted
from public disclosure. Anyone submitting business confidential
information should clearly identify the business confidential portion
of the submission and also provide a non-confidential submission that
can be placed in the public file. Communications from agencies of the
United States Government will not be made available for public
inspection.
The public record concerning this notice will be maintained in the
Bureau of Export Administration's Records Inspection Facility, Room
4525, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-5653. The records in this
facility may be inspected and copied in accordance with the regulations
published in Part 4 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15
CFR 4.1 et seq.).
Information about the inspection and copying of records at the
facility may be obtained from Ms. Margaret Cornejo, the Bureau of
Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at the above
address and telephone number.
Dated: September 26, 1996.
John A. Richards,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Industries and Economic
Security.
[FR Doc. 96-25156 Filed 10-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DT-P