[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52737-52738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21658]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 150821763-5764-01]


National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of the Proposed Fiscal 
Year 2017 Annual Materials Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 2017 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 October 
1, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Eric 
Longnecker, 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: Eric Longnecker), email: [email protected]; and Jordan 
Kwok, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, 2201 C 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20520, fax: (202) 647-4037 (Attn: Jordan 
Kwok), email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Longnecker, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-5537, fax: (202) 482-5650 
(Attn: Eric Longnecker), 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. 98h(b)(2)(H)(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, the 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 (``AMP'') 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 to this notice, 
the DLA lists the quantities and type of activity (potential 
acquisition, potential disposal, potential upgrade, or potential sale) 
associated with each material in its proposed FY 2017 AMP. 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 2017 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 2017 AMP. All comments must be submitted to the 
addresses indicated in this notice. All comments submitted through 
email must include the phrase ``Market Impact

[[Page 52738]]

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 October 1, 2015. 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 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: August 26, 2015.
Kevin J. Wolf,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment 1

             Proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Materials Plan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Material                  Unit        Quantity      Footnote
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Potential Sales
    Chromium, Ferro.............  ST                   23,500
    Chromium, Metal.............  ST                      200
    Manganese, Ferro............  ST                   50,000
    Platinum....................  Tr Oz                 8,380      (\2\)
    Tantalum Metal Scrap........  Lbs                     190      (\1\)
    Tungsten Ores and             LB W              3,000,000      (\3\)
     Concentrates.
    Zinc........................  ST                    7,993  (\1\ \2\)
Potential Upgrades/Disposals
    Beryllium Metal.............  ST                        2
    Germanium...................  Kg                    5,000
    Manganese, Metallurgical      SDT                 322,025
     Grade.
    Nickel Based Alloys.........  Lbs                 150,000
    Platinum--Iridium...........  Tr Oz                   489
    Tantalum Carbide Powder.....  Lb Ta                 3,777  (\2\ \3\)
    Tin.........................  MT                      804      (\3\)
    Titanium Base Alloys........  MT                   75,000
    Tungsten Metal Powder.......  LB W                 77,433   (\1\ \2\
                                                                    \3\)
Potential Acquisitions
    Boron Carbide...............  MT                    1,000
    High Modulus High Strength    MT                     72.0
     Carbon Fibers.
    CZT (Cadmium Zinc Tellurium   cm\2\                32,000
     substrates).
    Dysprosium Metal............  MT                      0.5
    Europium....................  MT                       18
    Ferro-niobium...............  MT                      209
    Germanium Metal.............  Kg                    1,000
    Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO)..  Kg                      600
    Lithium Nickel Cobalt         Kg                    2,160
     Aluminum Oxide (LNCAO).
    Mesocarbon Microbeads (MCMB)  Kg                   15,552
    Silicon Carbide Fibers......  Lbs                     875
    TATB (Triamino-               LB                   48,000
     Trinitrobenzene).
    Tantalum....................  Lb Ta                33,990
    Tungsten-3 Rhenium Metal....  Kg                    5,000
    Yttrium Oxide...............  MT                       10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote Key:
\1\ Actual Quantity Will Be Limited to Remaining Inventory.
\2\ Inventory Depleted Based on Anticipated Rates of Disposal, Sale,
  etc.
\3\ Potential Barter.

[FR Doc. 2015-21658 Filed 8-31-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P