[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 248 (Thursday, December 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78338-78340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30751]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Japan-U.S. Decommissioning and Remediation Fukushima Recovery 
Forum Tokyo, Japan February 18-19, 2014

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Event Description

    The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade 
Administration (ITA), in partnership with the U.S. Department of 
Energy, is organizing a Japan-United States Decommissioning and 
Remediation Fukushima Recovery Forum (``Fukushima Recovery Forum'') on 
February 18-19 in Tokyo, Japan. The Fukushima Recovery Forum will be a 
venue for U.S. firms to hear from Japanese Ministries and commissioning 
entities on plans for Fukushima Recovery and for U.S. and Japanese 
firms to share experiences, expertise, and lessons learned in 
remediation and decommissioning, including on work underway at 
Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, and in Tohoku, the area 
affected by the accident at Fukushima. U.S. firms will also be given an 
opportunity to network with Japanese firms and identify potential 
business partners. ITA hopes that this cooperation between the U.S. and 
Japanese private sectors will lead to solutions that will enhance 
Fukushima recovery efforts. ITA is seeking the participation of a 
maximum of approximately 25 U.S. companies that produce technology or 
provide services in the decommissioning or remediation sector, 
including water treatment and waste management. The U.S. Department of 
Commerce's Global Markets and U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (CS) 
will also be available in Tokyo to provide its export counseling 
services to participating companies.
    Support for the Fukushima Recovery Forum was confirmed at the 2nd 
meeting of the U.S-Japan Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear 
Cooperation. The Bilateral Commission serves as a senior-level, 
standing forum for consultations on mutual issues of concern, to 
further strengthen bilateral cooperation and to advance shared interest 
in the area of civil nuclear cooperation. The Bilateral Commission is 
chaired by the Department of Energy and Japan's Ministry of Economy, 
Trade, and Industry (METI). There are five working groups under the 
Bilateral Commission to coordinate bilateral cooperation in the areas 
of civil nuclear energy research and development, the decommissioning 
of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, environmental 
management, emergency management, nuclear security, and safety and 
regulatory issues.
    The Decommissioning and Environmental Management Working Group 
(DEMWG) under the Bilateral Commission addresses the long-term 
consequences of the Fukushima accident, including facility

[[Page 78339]]

decommissioning, spent fuel storage, decontamination, and remediation 
of contaminated areas. The Fukushima Recovery Forum is under the 
auspices of the DEMWG to further industry cooperation in support of 
Fukushima Recovery efforts.

Event Goals

    The Fukushima Recovery Forum is an event to bring U.S. and Japanese 
private sector firms in the remediation, decommissioning, and waste 
management industries together to develop relationships that will 
assist with the recovery of the Fukushima region. The Forum is intended 
to be:
     A venue for U.S. firms to meet key Japanese officials 
involved in the planning of decommissioning, remediation, and other 
work related to Fukushima Recovery.
     A venue where U.S. and Japanese firms can share 
experiences, expertise, and lessons learned in remediation and 
decommissioning, including on work already completed at Fukushima Dai-
ichi, and in Tohoku.
     A venue where U.S. and Japanese firms can discuss key 
technical challenges related to Fukushima clean-up and nuclear 
decommissioning.
     A venue to foster collaboration between the U.S. and 
Japanese private sector to solve other challenges related to 
remediation and decommissioning.
     An opportunity for companies from both the United States 
and Japan to network, build relationships and identify partners for 
current projects and potential joint future work.

Event Scenario

    On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and led to a 
series of events at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station in 
which several units and their adjacent spent fuel pools experienced 
beyond-design-basis accidents. The four reactors at the site (Units 1-
4) that received the brunt of the damage (of the six reactors at the 
site) also have integral spent fuel pools containing significant 
amounts of spent nuclear fuel, which were also damaged by the disaster 
and the subsequent explosions. In addition, radioactivity was released 
into the surrounding area, causing thousands of people to be evacuated. 
Japan faces an unprecedented cleanup and decontamination challenge that 
will take many years to resolve as it strives to decommission Fukushima 
Dai-ichi and remediate the surrounding areas.
    The U.S. Government, and specifically the U.S. Department of Energy 
national laboratories, have been involved in numerous exchanges of 
scientific and technical information and expertise with the Government 
of Japan with the intent to find solutions to problems created by the 
accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi related to decommissioning and 
decontamination. The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade 
Administration, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, has 
proposed the Japan-United States Decontamination and Remediation 
Fukushima Recovery Forum to bring U.S. and Japanese firms together to 
complement the existing exchanges of information and expertise by 
providing an opportunity for coordination between the U.S. and Japanese 
private sectors to find solutions from U.S. firms that would assist 
Japan with its recovery process.
    Participating firms will:
     Receive a briefing on the status of Fukushima Dai-ichi 
decommissioning and decontamination work from relevant officials from 
the Japanese Government and industry.
     Participate in panel or breakout discussions focusing on 
decontamination, remediation and waste management. Firms with 
appropriate experience or technologies will be asked to present during 
these discussions.
     Exchange views on viable solutions to the challenges on 
Fukushima recovery with counterparts from the Japanese private 
sector;nder the CP Program would be two million shares, whereas the 
threshold under the ETP Incentive Program is one million shares).
     Participate in one-on-one networking sessions with 
interested Japanese firms;
     Attend a networking reception with senior leaders from 
Japan's Government and industry hosted by a senior U.S. Government 
representative from the Embassy in Tokyo;
     Take advantage of the Commercial Service in Tokyo's 
business advisory services if desired by the U.S. participant firms and 
should CS Japan resources be able to accommodate such interest.
     There may be an opportunity to participate in an optional 
tour to the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant. This tour would 
incur additional fees.

Proposed Schedule

February 18

    Participate in discussions with U.S. and Japanese firms consisting 
of presentations and discussions on specific aspects of Fukushima 
Recovery, including decommissioning, remediation, waste management, and 
water management.
    Participate in networking opportunities with Japanese firms.
    Attend a networking reception with senior leaders from Japan's 
Government and industry hosted by a senior U.S. Government 
representative from the Embassy in Tokyo.

February 19

    Participate in briefings by Japanese Government and other entities 
on the status of the situation at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power 
Station and surrounding area.
    Participate in one-on-one networking activities coordinated by 
Global Markets and the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service.
    Updates to the events related to the Fukushima Recovery Forum can 
be found at: http://export.gov/japan/fukushima/forum/

Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the Fukushima Recovery 
Forum must complete and submit an application package for consideration 
by the Department of Commerce. All applicants will be evaluated based 
on their ability to meet certain conditions and best satisfy the 
selection criteria as outlined below. A maximum of 25 companies will be 
selected to participate in the Business Forum from the applicant pool. 
U.S. companies already doing business in Japan as well as U.S. 
companies seeking to enter to the Japanese market for the first time 
may apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis in the 
order that they are received.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company has been selected to participate in the Forum, a 
participation fee is required. The participation fee is $930.00 for 
large firms. The participation fee is $665.00 for small or medium-sized 
firms.\1\ Fees will cover the cost for interpreters, a booklet 
containing information about the firms, and the costs for the 
reception.
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    \1\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/size). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008. For additional information, see 
http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html
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Exclusions

    The conference fee does not include any personal travel expenses 
such as airfare, lodging, most meals, incidentals,

[[Page 78340]]

and local ground transportation and personal interpreters used during 
the networking sessions. Delegation members will be able to take 
advantage of U.S. Embassy rates for hotel rooms. Business visas may be 
required. Government fees and processing expenses to obtain such visas 
are also not included in the Fukushima Recovery Forum costs. However, 
the U.S. Department of Commerce will provide instructions to each 
participant on the procedures required to obtain necessary business 
visas.

Conditions for Participation

    Applicants must submit a completed mission application signed by a 
company official, together with supplemental application materials, 
including adequate information on the company's products and/or 
services, interest in doing business in Japan, and goals for 
participation by January 15, 2014. If the U.S. Department of Commerce 
receives an incomplete application, the U.S. Department of Commerce may 
reject the application, request additional information, or take the 
lack of information into account in its evaluation.
    Each applicant must also certify that the products or services it 
seeks to export through its participation in the Fukushima Recovery 
Forum are either produced in the United States, or, if not, marketed 
under the name of a U.S. firm and that the promotion of the products or 
services the applicant seeks to export would be consistent with CS's 
statutory mission.

Selection Criteria for Participation

    Selection will be based on the following criteria:
     Suitability of the company's products or services to the 
Japanese decommissioning or remediation sector, including water 
management and waste management;
     The company's potential for business in Japan, including 
likelihood of exports resulting from participation in the Fukushima 
Recovery Forum;
     The company's ability to identify and engage on policy 
issues relevant to U.S. competitiveness in the decontamination or 
remediation sectors in Japan; and
     Consistency of the company's goals and objectives with the 
scope of the Fukushima Recovery Forum.
    Additional factors, such as diversity of company size, industry 
subsector, location, and demographics, may also be considered during 
the review process.
    Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and not 
considered during the selection process.

Timeframe for Recruitment and Participation

    Recruitment for the Fukushima Recovery Forum will be conducted in 
an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal 
Register, posting on CS Japan's Web site, notices by industry trade 
associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity through the 
Commercial Service network. Recruitment will begin immediately and 
conclude no later than January 15, 2014. The U.S. Department of 
Commerce will review applications and make selection decisions 
beginning on or about January 6, 2014. Applications received after 
January 15, 2014 will be considered only if space and scheduling 
constraints permit.
    Applications for participation in the Fukushima Recovery Forum are 
available on line at: http://export.gov/japan/fukushima/forum/

DATES: The Fukushima Recovery Forum will take place February 18-19, 
2014. Applications are due no later than January 15, 2014.

Contacts

Danius Barzdukas, Office of East Asia and APEC, International Trade 
Administration, Department of Commerce, Phone: 202-482-1147, email: 
[email protected].
Gregory Briscoe, U.S. Commercial Service Tokyo, International Trade 
Administration, Department of Commerce, Phone: +81-3-3224-5088, email: 
[email protected].
David Kincaid, Designated Federal Officer for the Civil Nuclear Trade 
advisory Committee & Representative of the USG Civil Nuclear 
Coordination Team, International Trade Administration, Department of 
Commerce, Phone: 202-482-1706, email: [email protected].

Elnora Moye,
Trade Program Assistant.
[FR Doc. 2013-30751 Filed 12-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P