[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 57 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15613-15615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7249]


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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, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment on the potential market 
impact of proposed disposal of excess commodities currently held in the 
National Defense Stockpile.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the National Defense 
Stockpile Market Impact Committee (co-chaired by the Departments of 
Commerce and State) is seeking public comment on the potential market 
impact of the Department of Defense proposed revisions to the disposal 
levels for Columbium Concentrates, Mica (All Forms), Palladium, Sebacic 
Acid, and Tantalum Minerals under the Fiscal Year 2000 and proposed 
Fiscal Year 2001 Annual Materials Plans (AMPs).

DATES: Comments must be received by April 24, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Richard V. Meyers, Co-
Chair, Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, U.S.

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Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, D.C. 20230; FAX (202) 482-5650.

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 Department of Defense (DOD), 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. 98h7-1) 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 disposal 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 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 is now considering the DOD proposed revisions to the 
disposal levels of Columbium Concentrates, Mica (All Forms), Palladium, 
Sebacic Acid, and Tantalum Minerals in the FY 2000 and proposed FY 2001 
AMPs as set forth in Attachment 1 to this Notice. In order for the 
Committee to obtain sufficient information to prepare its 
recommendations to DOD on these proposed revisions, the Committee 
requests that interested parties provide comment on the potential 
market impact of the proposed revisions.
    The quantities of each material listed in Attachment 1 are not 
sales target disposal quantities. They are only a statement of the 
proposed maximum disposal quantity of each listed 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, as well as on the quantity of material approved 
for disposal by Congress.
    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 these 
commodities. Although comments in response to this Notice must be 
received by April 24, 2000, 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 these 
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. Information 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, D.C. 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: March 20, 2000.
R. Roger Majak,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment

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                                                                                                Revised FY 2000
              Material                          Units                 Current FY 2000 and       and proposed FY
                                                                   proposed FY 2001  quantity    2001 quantity
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Columbium Concentrates.............  LB Cb                        FY 2000, 200,000...........            375,000
                                                                  FY 2001, 250,000...........
Mica (All Forms)...................  LB                           2,260,000..................          4,000,000
Palladium..........................  TR Oz                        200,000....................            300,000
Sebacic Acid.......................  LB                           400,000....................            600,000
Tantalum Minerals..................  LA Ta                        200,000....................            300,000
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[FR Doc. 00-7249 Filed 3-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JT-P