[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68028-68029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27154]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 130807689-3689-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of the Proposed Fiscal 
Year 2015 Annual Materials Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of 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 Fiscal Year 2015 National 
Defense Stockpile Annual Materials Plan. The role of the Market Impact 
Committee is to advise the National Defense Stockpile Manager on the 
projected domestic and foreign economic effects of all acquisitions and 
disposals involving the stockpile and related material research and 
development projects. Public comments are an important element of the 
Committee's market impact review process.

DATES: To be considered, written comments must be received by December 
13, 2013.

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), email: [email protected]; and Sean Ruthe, U.S. 
Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, 2201 C Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20520, fax: (202) 647-4037 (Attn: Sean Ruthe), or email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Vaccaro, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-8232, fax: (202) 482-5650 
(Attn: Michael Vaccaro), email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the authority of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock 
Piling Revision Act of 1979, as amended (the Stock Piling Act) (50 
U.S.C. 98, et seq.), the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics 
Agency (DLA), 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 9(b)(2)(G)(ii) of the Stock Piling Act (50 
U.S.C. 98(h)(b)(2)(G)(ii)) authorizes the National Defense Stockpile 
Manager to fund material research and development projects to develop 
new materials for the stockpile.
    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 U.S. 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 stored in or of interest to the National Defense 
Stockpile Manager.
    As the National Defense Stockpile Manager, the DLA must produce an 
Annual Materials Plan proposing the maximum quantity of each listed 
material that may be acquired, disposed of, upgraded, or sold by the 
DLA in a particular fiscal year. In Attachment 1, the DLA lists the 
quantities and type of activity (potential acquisition, potential 
disposal, or potential upgrade) associated with each material in its 
proposed FY 2015 Annual Materials Plan. The quantities listed in 
Attachment 1 are not acquisition, disposal, upgrade, or sales target 
quantities, but rather a statement of the proposed maximum quantity of 
each listed material that may be acquired, disposed of, upgraded, or 
sold in a particular fiscal year by the DLA as noted. The quantity of 
each material that will actually be acquired or offered for sale will 
depend on the market for the material at the time of the acquisition or 
offering, as well as on the quantity of each material approved for 
acquisition, disposal, or upgrade by Congress.
    The Committee is seeking public comments on the potential market 
impact associated with the proposed FY 2015 AMP as enumerated in 
Attachment 1. Public comments are an important element of the 
Committee's market impact review process.

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 quantities associated 
with the proposed FY 2015 AMP. All comments must be submitted to the 
addresses indicated in this notice. All comments submitted through 
email 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 December 13, 2013. 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 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

[[Page 68029]]

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: November 5, 2013.
Kevin J. Wolf,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment 1

                                 Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Materials Plan
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                   Material                                Unit                 Quantity            Footnote
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Sales/Upgrades/Disposals
    Beryllium Metal...........................  ST                                       17.5          (\1\ \2\)
    Chromium, Ferro...........................  ST                                   23,500                (\2\)
    Chromium, Metal...........................  ST                                      150                (\2\)
    Manganese, Ferro..........................  ST                                   50,000                (\2\)
    Manganese, Metallurgical Grade............  SDT                                 100,000                (\2\)
    Talc......................................  ST                                    1,639                (\3\)
    Tin.......................................  MT                                      804                (\1\)
    Tungsten Metal Powder.....................  LB W                                 77,433                (\2\)
    Tungsten Ores and Concentrates............  LB W                              3,000,000                (\2\)
Acquisitions
    CZT (Cadmium Zinc Tellurium substrates)...  cm\2\                                40,000
    TATB (Triamino-Trinitrobenzene)...........  LB                                   16,000
    Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO)................  Kg                                      150
    Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide        Kg                                      540
     (LNCAO).
    Mesocarbon Microbeads (MCMB)..............  Kg                                      648
    Ferroniobium..............................  MT                                      104.5
    Dysprosium Metal..........................  MT                                        0.5
    Yttrium Oxide.............................  MT                                      10
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\1\ Potential Upgrade.
\2\ Potential Disposal.
\3\ Potential Disposal (Landfill).

[FR Doc. 2013-27154 Filed 11-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P