[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59581-59583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26106]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 030930242-3242-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile 
Disposals in FY 2004 and FY 2005

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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

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 proposed changes in the disposal levels of excess materials 
under the Fiscal Year 2004 Annual Materials Plan and proposed disposal 
levels under the Fiscal Year 2005 Annual Materials Plan.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 17, 2003.

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: The co-chairs of the National Defense 
Stockpile Market Impact Committee. Contact either Richard V. Meyers, 
Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of 
Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3634; or 
James Steele, Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, Bureau of Economic and 
Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-2690.

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 (``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 Department of Homeland Security, 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 is proposing (1) 
revision of the previously approved FY 2004 Annual Materials Plan 
(``AMP'') quantities for four materials, and (2) the new FY 2005 AMP, 
as set forth in Attachment 1. The Committee is seeking public comments 
on the potential market impact of the sale of these materials as 
proposed in the revision of

[[Page 59582]]

the FY 2004 AMP and the FY 2005 AMP.
    The AMP quantities are not targets for either sale or disposal. 
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 of the offering as 
well as on the quantity of each 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 November 17, 2003 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 these commodities. 
Public comments are 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. 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 4.1, et seq.). Specifically, the 
Bureau of Industry and Security's Freedom of Information Act (``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 site, they may call (202) 
482-2165 for assistance.

    Dated: October 9, 2003.
Matthew S. Borman,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Industry and Security, Bureau of 
Industry and Security, Department of Commerce.

         Attachment 1--Proposed Revision to FY 2004 Annual Material Plan (AMP) and Proposed FY 2005 AMP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Current FY      Revised FY      Proposed FY
               Material                           Units            2004 quantity   2004 quantity   2005 quantity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive..............  ST......................           6,000  ..............       \1\ 6,000
Bauxite, Refractory...................  LCT.....................      \1\ 43,000  ..............      \1\ 43,000
Beryl Ore.............................  ST......................       \1\ 4,000  ..............       \1\ 4,000
Beryllium Metal.......................  ST......................              40  ..............              40
Beryllium Copper Master Alloy.........  ST......................       \1\ 1,200  ..............       \1\ 1,200
Cadmium...............................  LB......................     \1\ 400,000  ..............               0
Celestite.............................  SDT.....................      \1\ 12,794  ..............       \1\ 6,000
Chromite, Chemical....................  SDT.....................     \1\ 100,000  ..............     \1\ 100,000
Chromite, Refractory..................  SDT.....................     \1\ 100,000  ..............     \1\ 100,000
Chromium, Ferro.......................  ST......................         150,000         110,000         110,000
Chromium, Metal.......................  ST......................             500  ..............             500
Cobalt................................  LB Co...................       6,000,000  ..............       6,000,000
Columbium Concentrates (Minerals).....  LB Cb...................         560,000  ..............         560,000
Columbium Metal Ingots................  LB Cb...................          20,000  ..............          20,000
Diamond Stone.........................  ct......................     \1\ 600,000  ..............     \1\ 400,000
Fluorspar, Acid Grade.................  SDT.....................      \1\ 12,000  ..............      \1\ 12,000
Fluorspar, Metallurgical Grade........  SDT.....................      \1\ 60,000  ..............      \1\ 60,000
Germanium.............................  KG......................           8,000  ..............           8,000
Graphite..............................  ST......................       \1\ 2,000  ..............               0
Iodine................................  LB......................       1,000,000  ..............       1,000,000
Jewel Bearings........................  PC......................  \1\ 82,051,558  ..............  \1\ 82,051,558
Kyanite...............................  SDT.....................               0              50               0
Lead..................................  ST......................          60,000  ..............      \1\ 60,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Natural......  SDT.....................          30,000  ..............          30,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Synthetic....  SDT \1\ 3,011...........  ..............       \1\ 3,011
Manganese, Chemical Grade.............  SDT.....................          40,000  ..............      \1\ 40,000
Manganese, Ferro......................  ST......................          50,000  ..............          50,000
Manganese, Metal Electrolytic.........  ST......................           2,000  ..............       \1\ 2,000
Manganese, Metallurgical Grade........  SDT.....................     \1\ 250,000  ..............     \1\ 250,000
Mica (All Types)......................  LB......................   \1\ 5,000,000  ..............   \1\ 1,000,000
Palladium.............................  Tr Oz...................         \1\ \3\  ..............         \1\ \3\
                                                                         200,000                         100,000
Platinum..............................  Tr Oz...................      \1\ 25,000  ..............      \1\ 25,000
Platinum--Iridium.....................  Tr Oz...................           6,000  ..............           6,000
Quartz Crystals.......................  LB......................     \1\ 150,000  ..............      \1\ 25,000
Quinidine.............................  Oz......................   \1\ 2,211,122  ..............               0
Sebacic Acid..........................  LB......................         600,000  ..............     \1\ 600,000
Talc..................................  ST......................       \1\ 1,000  ..............       \1\ 1,000
Tantalum Carbide Powder...............  LB Ta...................       \1\ 4,000       \1\ 4,000
Tantalum Metal Ingots.................  LB Ta...................      \1\ 40,000  ..............      \1\ 40,000
Tantalum Metal Powder.................  LB Ta...................      \1\ 40,000  ..............      \1\ 40,000
Tantalum Minerals.....................  LB Ta...................         500,000  ..............     \1\ 500,000
Tantalum Oxide........................  LB Ta...................          20,000  ..............         20,0001
Thorium Nitrate.......................  LB......................         \1\ \2\  ..............         \1\ \2\
                                                                       7,100,000                       7,100,000
Tin...................................  MT......................          12,000  ..............          12,000
Titanium Sponge.......................  ST......................           7,000  ..............       \1\ 7,000
Tungsten, Ferro.......................  LB W....................         300,000  ..............         300,000

[[Page 59583]]

 
Tungsten, Metal Powder................  LB W....................         300,000  ..............         300,000
Tungsten Ores & Concentrates..........  LB W....................       4,000,000  ..............       4,000,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut....  LT......................               0             250         \1\ 250
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebracho...  LT......................          50,000  ..............      \1\ 50,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle......  LT......................               0           6,500       \1\ 6,500
Zinc..................................  ST......................          50,000  ..............         50,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
\1\ Actual quantity will be limited to remaining sales authority or inventory.
\2\ The radioactive nature of this material may restrict sales or disposal options. Efforts are underway to
  determine the environmentally and economically feasible disposition of the material.
\3\ Pending legislative authority.

[FR Doc. 03-26106 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P