[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44422-44423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16641]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 020621156-2156-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile 
Disposals of Celestite and Quinidine.

AGENCY: Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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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 comments on the potential market 
impact of a proposed increase in the disposal levels of Celestite and 
Quinidine from the National Defense Stockpile under the proposed Fiscal 
Year 2003 Annual Materials Plan.

DATES: Comments must be received by August 1, 2002.

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, Bureau of Industry and 
Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; FAX (202) 482-5650; E-Mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3634; or Terri L. Robl, 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. 98h-1) formally established a Market Impact Committee 
(``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 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 National Defense Stockpile Administrator has proposed revising 
the proposed FY 2003 Annual Materials Plan (``AMP'') to increase the 
disposal quantity levels of Celestite, from 3,600 ST to 12,794 ST, and 
Quinidine, from 750,000 Av. Oz. to 2,211,122 Av. Oz. These increased 
quantity levels are equivalent to the remaining stockpile inventory of 
these materials. Because these materials have limited commercial value, 
making the remaining stockpile inventory of these materials available 
for disposal during FY 2003 will

[[Page 44423]]

enhance the ability of the National Defense Stockpile Manager to 
dispose of the entire stockpile inventory of these materials by the end 
of FY 2003, thereby avoiding significant and continuing storage costs. 
These levels are also being proposed to take advantage of a possible 
long term sales contract for Celestite and to dispose of Quinidine that 
has passed its maximum shelf life. The Committee is seeking public 
comments on the potential market impact of these proposed increases.
    The quantities of Celestite and Quinidine listed in the proposed FY 
2003 AMP are not targets for either sale or disposal. They are only a 
statement of the proposed maximum disposal quantity of the materials 
that may be sold in a particular fiscal year. The quantity of the 
materials that would actually be offered for sale or disposal will 
depend on the market for the material at the time of the offering as 
well as on the quantity of the materials 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 proposed increased 
disposal levels of Celestite and Quinidine. Although comments in 
response to this Notice must be received by August 1, 2002 to ensure 
full consideration by the Committee, interested parties are encouraged 
to submit comments and supporting information at any time thereafter to 
keep the Committee informed as to the market impact of the sale of the 
materials. Public comments are an important element of the Committee's 
market impact review process.
    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. The Committee will seek to protect such information to the extent 
permitted by law.
    The records related to this Notice will be made accessible in 
accordance with the regulations published in part 4 of Title 15 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (15 CFR Sec. 4.1 et seq.). Specifically, 
the Bureau of Industry and Security's FOIA reading room is located on 
its web page, which can be found at http://www.bis.doc.gov., and copies 
of the public comments received will be maintained at that location 
(see Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) heading). If requesters cannot 
access the web, they may call (202) 482-2165 for assistance.

    Dated: June 25, 2002.
Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Industry and Security.
[FR Doc. 02-16641 Filed 7-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P