[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56148-56150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28645]
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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 the disposal of certain commodities from the National Defense
Stockpile under the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Annual Materials
Plan (AMP) and revisions to the FY 1998 AMP.
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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 disposals of Stockpile materials under the FY 1999 AMP and
under a revised FY 1998 AMP (See Attachment 1).
DATES: Comments must be received by November 28, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments (2 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 Stephen H. Muller, Office of International Energy and
Commodity Policy, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-3423; 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 Act), 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. The Act (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 Federal Emergency Management Agency and is co-chaired by the
Departments of Commerce and State. The Act 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 is now considering Defense's proposed Stockpile
material disposal levels under the FY 1999 AMP and revisions to current
Stockpile material disposal levels under the FY 1998 AMP as set forth
in Attachment 1. The AMP materials listed in bold in Attachment 1
cannot be sold until Congress has approved their disposal. 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.
The proposed disposal quantity for each material listed in
Attachment 1 is the maximum amount of material that may be sold in a
particular fiscal year. Please note that these quantities are not sales
targets. 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 quantity of each material
approved for disposal by the Congress.
[[Page 56149]]
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 lists. Although comments in response to this Notice must
be received by November 28, 1997 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
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: October 17, 1997.
Karen A. Swasey,
Acting Director, Strategic Industries and Economic Security.
Attachment 1: Proposed FY 1999 and Revised FY 1998 AMPs.
Attachment 1.--Proposed FY 1999 and Revised FY 1998 AMPs
[The materials in bold are under Congressional consideration]
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Current FY Revised FY Proposed FY
Material Units 1998 quantity 1998 quantity 1999 quantity
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Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive........... ST 6,000 0 6,000
Aluminum Oxide, Fused Crude........ ST 30,000 0 30,000
Analgesics......................... AMA Lb 64,127 0 64,127
Antimony........................... ST 5,000 0 5,000
Asbestos (all types)............... ST 20,000 0 20,000
Bauxite, Metallurgical (Jamaican).. LDT 600,000 0 600,000
Bauxite, Metallurgical (Surinam)... LDT 300,000 800,000 800,000
Bauxite, Refractory................ LCT 80,000 0 0
Beryl Ore.......................... ST 2,000 0 2,000
Beryllium Copper Master Alloy...... ST 0 1,250 1,250
Bismuth............................ LB 300,000 0 180,000
Cadmium............................ LB 1,200,000 0 1,200,000
Celestite.......................... SDT 3,600 0 3,600
Chromite, Chemical................. SDT 100,000 0 100,000
Chromite, Metallurgical............ SDT 250,000 0 250,000
Chromite, Refractory............... SDT 100,000 0 100,000
Chromium, Ferro.................... ST 50,000 0 50,000
Chromium, Metal.................... ST 0 500 500
Cobalt............................. LB Co 6,000,000 0 6,000,000
Columbium, Carbide................. LB Cb 0 21,372 21,000
Columbium Concentrates (Minerals).. LB Cb 0 200,000 200,000
Columbium, Ferro................... LB Cb 200,000 0 200,000
Diamond, Bort...................... CT 1,000,000 0 1,000,000
Diamond Dies, Small PCS............ PC 25,473 0 25,473
Diamond Stone...................... CT 2,000,000 0 2,000,000
Fluorspar, Acid Grade.............. SDT 180,000 0 180,000
Fluorspar, Metallurgical........... SDT 50,000 0 50,000
Germanium.......................... KG 8,000 0 8,000
Graphite, Natural Malagasy......... ST 2,660 0 2,660
Indium............................. TR Oz 35,000 0 15,000
Iodine............................. LB 450,000 1,000,000 1,000,000
Jewel Bearings..................... PC 31,000,000 52,000,000 52,000,000
Kyanite............................ SDT 1,200 0 0
Lead............................... ST 60,000 0 60,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Natural... SDT 20,000 0 20,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Synthetic. SDT 3,011 0 3,011
Manganese, Chemical Grade.......... SDT 40,000 0 40,000
Manganese, Ferro................... ST 50,000 0 50,000
Manganese, Metal Electrolytic...... ST 2,000 0 2,000
Manganese, Metallurgical Grade..... SDT 250,000 0 250,000
Mercury............................ FL 20,000 0 20,000
Mica (All Types)................... LB 2,260,000 0 2,260,000
Nickel............................. ST 10,000 0 2,000
Palladium.......................... TR Oz 15,000 200,000 300,000
Platinum........................... TR Oz 10,000 125,000 125,000
Quinidine.......................... Av Oz 750,000 0 750,000
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Quinine............................ Av Oz 750,000 0 750,00
Rubber............................. LT 125,000 0 0
Sebacic Acid....................... LB 1,000,000 0 1,000,000
Silicon Carbide.................... ST 9,000 0 9,000
Silver (for coinage)............... Tr Oz 9,000,000 0 9,000,000
Talc............................... ST 1,000 0 1,000
Tantalum Carbide Powder............ LB Ta 2,000 0 2,000
Tantalum Minerals.................. LB Ta 100,000 0 100,000
Tantalum Oxide..................... LB Ta 20,000 0 20,000
Thorium Nitrate.................... LB 1,000,000 0 1,000,000
Tin................................ MT 12,000 0 12,000
Titanium Sponge.................... ST 0 4,000 5,000
Tungsten, Carbide.................. Lb W 0 100,000 100,000
Tungsten, Ferro.................... LB W 0 100,000 100,000
Tungsten, Metal Powder............. LB W 0 100,000 100,000
Tungsten Ores & Concentrates....... LB W 0 1,000,000 1,000,000
Vanadium Pentoxide................. ST V 200 0 0
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut. LT 7,500 0 7,500
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebrac.. LT 10,000 0 10,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle... LT 10,000 0 10,000
Zinc............................... ST 50,000 0 50,000
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[FR Doc. 97-28645 Filed 10-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P