[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 35582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14436]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 040610178-4178-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile 
Disposals in the FY 2005 Annual Materials Plan (AMP)

AGENCY: U.S. 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 proposed increases to the disposal levels of excess materials 
from the National Defense Stockpile for the Fiscal Year 2005 Annual 
Materials Plan.

DATES: Comments must be received by July 26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to William J. Denk, 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 William J. Denk, 
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 International Energy and Commodity Policy, U.S. 
Department of State, (202) 647-2871.

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 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 is proposing revisions 
to the previously approved FY 2005 Annual Materials Plan (``AMP'') 
quantities for three materials: (1) Ferromanganese, from 50,000 Short 
Tons to 100,000 Short Tons; (2) Manganese ore (Metallurgical grade), 
from 250,000 Short Dry Tons to 500,000 Short Dry Tons, and (3) Tungsten 
ores and Concentrates, from 4,000,000 Pounds to 5,000,000 Pounds 
(contained tungsten). Significant supply shortfalls in global and 
domestic markets, at this time, necessitate an additional increase in 
the allotment of these materials for the FY 2005 AMP. The Committee is 
seeking public comments on the potential market impact of an increase 
to the previously approved material quantities to be offered for sale 
in the FY 2005 AMP. Note: The proposed revisions must first be approved 
by the U.S. Congress.
    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 AMP 
commodities. Although comments in response to this Notice must be 
received by July 26, 2004, 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 FOIA heading). If requesters cannot 
access the Web site, they may call (202) 482-2165 for assistance.

    Dated: June 17, 2004.
Peter Lichtenbaum,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration, Bureau of Industry and 
Security, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 04-14436 Filed 6-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P