[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60315-60316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20860]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 071002551-7552-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile 
Disposals for Fiscal Year 2009

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, 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 the proposed disposal levels of excess materials for the 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Annual Materials Plan.

DATES: To be considered, written comments must be received by November 
23, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Michael 
Vaccaro, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, 
Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Room 3876, Washington, DC 20230, fax: (202) 482-5650 
(Attn: Michael Vaccaro), e-mail: [email protected]; or Peter Haymond, 
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, 
Office of International Energy and Commodity Policy, Washington, DC 
20520, fax: (202) 647-8758 (Attn: Peter Haymond), or e-mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Newsom, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Telephone: (202) 482-7417.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    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, the 
Treasury, and Homeland Security, and is co-chaired by the Departments 
of Commerce and State. The FY 1993 NDAA directs the Committee to 
consult with industry representatives that produce, process, or consume 
the materials contained in the stockpile.
    In Attachment 1, the Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) lists 
the proposed quantities that are enumerated in the stockpile inventory 
for the FY 2009 Annual Materials Plan. The Committee is seeking public 
comments on the potential market impact of the sale of these materials. 
Public comments are an important element of the Committee's market 
impact review process.
    The quantities listed in Attachment 1 are not disposal or sales 
target quantities, but rather a statement of the proposed maximum 
disposal quantity of each listed material that may be sold in a 
particular fiscal year by the DNSC. 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.

Submission of Comments

    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. All comments must be submitted to the address indicated in 
this notice. All comments submitted through e-mail must include the 
phrase ``Market Impact Committee Notice of Inquiry'' in the subject 
line.
    The Committee encourages interested persons who wish to comment to 
do so at the earliest possible time. The period for submission of 
comments will close on November 23, 2007. The Committee will consider 
all comments received before the close of the comment period. Comments 
received after the end of the comment period will be considered, if 
possible, but their consideration cannot be assured.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be made a 
matter of public record and will be available for

[[Page 60316]]

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 Office of Administration, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, displays public comments on the BIS Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) Web site at http://www.bis.doc.gov/foia. This 
office does not maintain a separate public inspection facility. If you 
have technical difficulties accessing this Web site, please call BIS's 
Office of Administration at (202) 482-1900 for assistance.

    Dated: October 5, 2007.
Christopher A. Padilla,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment 1

                 Proposed FY 2009 Annual Materials Plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Material                 Unit        Quantity      Footnote
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive......  ST..........         5,500   (1)
Bauxite, Metallurgical          LDT.........     2,000,000   (1)
 Jamaican.
Beryl Ore.....................  ST..........         1,000   (1)
Beryllium Metal...............  ST..........            40
Beryllium Copper Master Alloy.  ST..........           300   (1)
Chromium, Ferro...............  ST..........       150,000
Chromium, Metal...............  ST..........         1,000
Cobalt........................  LB Co.......     3,000,000   (1)
Columbium Metal Ingots........  LB Cb.......        20,000   (1)
Diamond Stones................  ct..........       520,000   (1)
Germanium.....................  Kg..........         8,000
Manganese, Battery Grade,       SDT.........        20,000   (1)
 Natural.
Manganese, Battery Grade,       SDT.........         3,000   (1)
 Synthetic.
Manganese, Chemical Grade.....  SDT.........        25,000   (1)
Manganese, Ferro..............  ST..........       100,000
Manganese, Metallurgical Grade  SDT.........       250,000
Mica, All.....................  LB..........        17,000   (1)
Platinum......................  Tr Oz.......         9,000   (1)
Platinum-Iridium..............  Tr Oz.......         3,000   (1)
Talc..........................  ST..........         1,000
Tantalum Carbide Powder.......  LB Ta.......         8,000   (1)
Tin...........................  MT..........         6,000   (1)
Tungsten Metal Powder.........  LB W........       300,000   (1)
Tungsten Ores & Concentrates..  LB W........     8,000,000
VTE, Quebracho................  LT..........         6,000
VTE, Wattle...................  LT..........           200   (1)
Zinc..........................  ST..........        30,000   (1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Actual quantity will be limited to remaining inventory.


 [FR Doc. E7-20860 Filed 10-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P