[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8616-8618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03366]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Second Japan-U.S. Decommissioning and Remediation Fukushima 
Recovery Forum, Tokyo, Japan April 9-10, 2015

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), with the support of the U.S. Department of 
Energy, is organizing the second Japan-United States Decommissioning 
and Remediation Fukushima Recovery Forum (``Fukushima Recovery Forum'') 
on April 9-10, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. Building on the first Fukushima 
Recovery Forum held in February 2014, the 2nd Fukushima Recovery Forum 
will continue to develop U.S.-Japanese cooperation on Fukushima 
recovery efforts. The event will allow U.S. firms to hear from Japanese 
Ministries, utilities, and commissioning entities on the status of 
Fukushima recovery. It will be a forum for U.S. and Japanese firms to 
make contacts while sharing experiences, expertise, and lessons learned 
in remediation and decommissioning, including work underway at 
Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, and in Tohoku, the area 
affected by the accident at Fukushima. The event also addresses 
interest in cooperation in areas related to nuclear power as Japan 
moves forward with its plan for restarting its nuclear reactors and 
decommissioning some of its commercial reactor fleet. U.S. firms will 
also 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 25 
U.S. companies or representatives of trade organizations that produce 
technology or provide services in the decommissioning or remediation 
sector, including water treatment and waste management. Staff from the 
U.S. Department of Commerce's Global Markets, Industry & Analysis 
(I&A), and U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (CS) units will also be 
available in Tokyo to provide export counseling and civil nuclear trade 
policy guidance to participating companies.
    Support for the Fukushima Recovery Forum was confirmed at meetings 
of the U.S-Japan Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation. The 
Bilateral Commission is a senior-level, forum for consultations on 
mutual issues of concern to further strengthen bilateral cooperation 
and advance shared interests 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).
    The Decommissioning and Environmental Management Working Group 
(DEMWG) under the Bilateral Commission addresses the long-term 
consequences of the Fukushima accident, including facility 
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 together U.S. and 
Japanese private sector firms in the remediation, decommissioning, and 
waste management industries to develop relationships that will assist 
with the recovery of the Fukushima region. The Forum is intended to 
create better market opportunities for U.S. companies. It will do this 
by:
     Allowing U.S. firms to meet key Japanese officials 
involved in the planning of decommissioning, remediation, and other 
work related to Fukushima Recovery.
     Creating a venue where U.S. and Japanese firms can share 
experiences,

[[Page 8617]]

expertise, and lessons learned in remediation and decommissioning, 
including on work already completed at Fukushima Dai-ichi, and in 
Tohoku.
     Giving U.S. and Japanese firms an opportunity to discuss 
key technical challenges related to Fukushima clean-up and nuclear 
decommissioning.
     Fostering collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese 
private sector to solve other challenges related to remediation and 
decommissioning.
     Providing 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. 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. In response to the Fukushima nuclear accident, the 
Japanese government introduced a system that limits the maximum 
operating period for nuclear power plants to 40 years. In January 2015, 
Japanese utilities announced plans to decommission five aging nuclear 
reactors.
    The U.S. Government, and specifically the U.S. Department of Energy 
and its National Laboratories, have been involved in numerous exchanges 
of scientific and technical information and expertise with the 
Government of Japan 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 (ITA), with the support of the U.S. Department of 
Energy, 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. In February 2014, ITA 
organized the first Japan-U.S. Decommissioning and Remediation 
Fukushima Recovery Forum in Tokyo. This two day event brought together 
51 representatives from 26 U.S. firms and 101 representatives from 46 
Japanese firms to discuss potential partnerships to help with Fukushima 
recovery.
    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;
     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 U.S. Embassy in Tokyo;
     Take advantage of the Commercial Service in Tokyo's 
business advisory services if there is sufficient interest by 
participating U.S. firms and mission resources can 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

April 9
    Participate in discussions with U.S. and Japanese firms consisting 
of presentations and dialogues 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 U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
April 10
    Participate in briefings by Japanese Government officials and other 
entities on the status of the situation at the Fukushima Dai-ichi 
Nuclear Power Station and surrounding area.
    Participate in networking activities coordinated by ITA staff.
    Event updates 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 submit an application package for consideration by the U.S. 
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 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.
    Fees and Expenses:
    After a company has been selected to participate in the Forum, a 
participation fee is required. The participation fee is $930 for large 
firms and $665 for small or medium-sized firms.\1\ The fee for each 
additional company representative is $500. As space permits, up to four 
additional representatives can be accommodated per company. Fees will 
cover the cost for interpreters, a booklet containing information about 
participating U.S. and Japanese firms, and reception costs.
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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 participation fee does not include personal travel expenses 
such as airfare, lodging, most meals, incidentals, 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 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.

[[Page 8618]]

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 February 27, 2015. If the U.S. Department of Commerce 
receives an incomplete application, it 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 have at least fifty-one percent U.S. 
content.

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 Japanese decontamination 
or remediation sectors; and
     Consistency of the company's goals and objectives with the 
scope of the Fukushima Recovery Forum.
    Additional factors, such as balance 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 ITA 
network. Recruitment will begin immediately and conclude no later than 
February 27, 2015. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review 
applications and make selection decisions beginning on or about March 
2, 2015. Applications received after March 2, 2015 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 April 9-10, 2015. 
Applications are due no later than February 27, 2015.

Contacts

Danius Barzdukas, Japan Desk/Office of East Asia and APEC, U.S. 
Department of Commerce [bond] International Trade Administration, 
Phone: 202-482-1147, [email protected]
Gregory Taevs, U.S. Commercial Service Tokyo, U.S. Department of 
Commerce [bond] International Trade Administration, +81-3-3224-5070, 
[email protected]
Jon Chesebro, Senior Nuclear Trade Specialist, Industry & Analysis 
[bond] Office of Energy and Environmental Industries, U.S. Department 
of Commerce [bond] International Trade Administration, Phone: (202) 
482-1297, [email protected]

Frank Spector,
International Trade Specialist.
[FR Doc. 2015-03366 Filed 2-17-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P