[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 Defenses 
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 51405]]


               Proposed Revisions to Fiscal Year 1997 AMP               
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Material                        Units          Quantity 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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