[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 102 (Friday, May 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30693-30694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10617]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 050518134-5134-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Revised Stockpile 
Disposal Levels for FY 2006

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 changes in the disposal levels of excess Chromium 
Metal, Ferrochromium, and Tungsten ores and concentrates under the 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Annual Materials Plan (AMP).

DATES: Comments must be received by June 27, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to either William J. Denk, 
Co-chair, National Defense 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]; or to E. James Steele, Co-chair, National 
Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Bilateral Trade 
Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of 
State, Fax: (202) 647-8758; E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eddy Aparicio, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-8234; e-mail: 
[email protected].

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 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 revisions 
of the previously approved FY 2006 Annual Materials Plan (``AMP'') 
quantities for three materials, (1) Chromium Metal, from the previously 
approved 500 short tons to the newly proposed 1000 short tons, (2) 
Ferrochromium, from the previously approved 110,000 short tons to the 
newly proposed 150,000 short tons, and lastly (3) Tungsten ores and 
concentrates from the previously approved 5,000,000 pounds to the newly 
proposed 20,000,000 pounds. The Committee is seeking public comments on 
the potential market impact of the sale of these three materials at the 
newly proposed levels for the FY 2006 AMP.
    The AMP quantities are not targets for either sale or disposal. 
They are only a

[[Page 30694]]

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 June 27, 2005, 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 record. 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 found at http://www.bis.doc.gov/foia/default.htm. Copies of the public comments 
received will be maintained on the website. If requesters cannot access 
the web site, they may call (202) 482-2165 for assistance.

    Dated: May 24, 2005.
Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-10617 Filed 5-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P