[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56148-56150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28645]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Bureau of Export Administration; National Defense Stockpile 
Market Impact Committee Request for Public Comments

AGENCY: Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of 
Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments on the potential market 
impact of the disposal of certain commodities from the National Defense 
Stockpile under the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Annual Materials 
Plan (AMP) and revisions to the FY 1998 AMP.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the interagency 
National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee is seeking public 
comment on the potential market impact of Department of Defense 
proposed disposals of Stockpile materials under the FY 1999 AMP and 
under a revised FY 1998 AMP (See Attachment 1).

DATES: Comments must be received by November 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments (2 copies) should be sent to Richard V. 
Meyers, Co-Chair, Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of 
Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 
482-3634; or Stephen H. Muller, Office of International Energy and 
Commodity Policy, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-3423; co-chairs 
of the National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of the Strategic and 
Critical Materials Stock Piling Act of 1979, as amended, (50 U.S.C. 98 
et seq.)(the Act), the Department of Defense (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. The Act (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, Treasury 
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is co-chaired by the 
Departments of Commerce and State. The Act directs the Committee to 
``consult from time to time with representatives of producers, 
processors and consumers of the types of materials stored in the 
stockpile.''
    The Committee is now considering Defense's proposed Stockpile 
material disposal levels under the FY 1999 AMP and revisions to current 
Stockpile material disposal levels under the FY 1998 AMP as set forth 
in Attachment 1. The AMP materials listed in bold in Attachment 1 
cannot be sold until Congress has approved their disposal. The 
Committee is seeking public comment on the potential market impact of 
the sale of these materials in the event that Congress does grant such 
disposal authority.
    The proposed disposal quantity for each material listed in 
Attachment 1 is the maximum amount of material that may be sold in a 
particular fiscal year. Please note that these quantities are not sales 
targets. 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. It will also depend on the maximum quantity of each material 
approved for disposal by the Congress.

[[Page 56149]]

    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 any commodity 
in the above lists. Although comments in response to this Notice must 
be received by November 28, 1997 to ensure full consideration by the 
Committee, interested parties are encouraged to submit additional 
comments and supporting information at any time thereafter to keep the 
Committee informed as to the market impact of the sale of the 
commodities. Public comment is an important element of the Committee's 
market impact review process.
    Public comments received will be made available at the Department 
of Commerce for public inspection and copying. Material that is 
national security classified or business confidential will be exempted 
from public disclosure. 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 file. Communications from agencies of the 
United States Government will not be made available for public 
inspection.
    The public record concerning this notice will be maintained in the 
Bureau of Export Administration's Records Inspection Facility, Room 
4525, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-5653. The records in this 
facility may be inspected and copied in accordance with the regulations 
published in Part 4 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 
CFR 4.1 et seq.).
    Information about the inspection and copying of records at the 
facility may be obtained from Ms. Margaret Cornejo, the Bureau of 
Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at the above 
address and telephone number.

    Dated: October 17, 1997.
Karen A. Swasey,
Acting Director, Strategic Industries and Economic Security.

    Attachment 1: Proposed FY 1999 and Revised FY 1998 AMPs.

                            Attachment 1.--Proposed FY 1999 and Revised FY 1998 AMPs                            
                          [The materials in bold are under Congressional consideration]                         
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                                                                    Current FY      Revised FY      Proposed FY 
              Material                          Units              1998 quantity   1998 quantity   1999 quantity
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Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive...........  ST                                    6,000               0           6,000
Aluminum Oxide, Fused Crude........  ST                                   30,000               0          30,000
Analgesics.........................  AMA Lb                               64,127               0          64,127
Antimony...........................  ST                                    5,000               0           5,000
Asbestos (all types)...............  ST                                   20,000               0          20,000
Bauxite, Metallurgical (Jamaican)..  LDT                                 600,000               0         600,000
Bauxite, Metallurgical (Surinam)...  LDT                                 300,000         800,000         800,000
Bauxite, Refractory................  LCT                                  80,000               0               0
Beryl Ore..........................  ST                                    2,000               0           2,000
Beryllium Copper Master Alloy......  ST                                        0           1,250           1,250
Bismuth............................  LB                                  300,000               0         180,000
Cadmium............................  LB                                1,200,000               0       1,200,000
Celestite..........................  SDT                                   3,600               0           3,600
Chromite, Chemical.................  SDT                                 100,000               0         100,000
Chromite, Metallurgical............  SDT                                 250,000               0         250,000
Chromite, Refractory...............  SDT                                 100,000               0         100,000
Chromium, Ferro....................  ST                                   50,000               0          50,000
Chromium, Metal....................  ST                                        0             500             500
Cobalt.............................  LB Co                             6,000,000               0       6,000,000
Columbium, Carbide.................  LB Cb                                     0          21,372          21,000
Columbium Concentrates (Minerals)..  LB Cb                                     0         200,000         200,000
Columbium, Ferro...................  LB Cb                               200,000               0         200,000
Diamond, Bort......................  CT                                1,000,000               0       1,000,000
Diamond Dies, Small PCS............  PC                                   25,473               0          25,473
Diamond Stone......................  CT                                2,000,000               0       2,000,000
Fluorspar, Acid Grade..............  SDT                                 180,000               0         180,000
Fluorspar, Metallurgical...........  SDT                                  50,000               0          50,000
Germanium..........................  KG                                    8,000               0           8,000
Graphite, Natural Malagasy.........  ST                                    2,660               0           2,660
Indium.............................  TR Oz                                35,000               0          15,000
Iodine.............................  LB                                  450,000       1,000,000       1,000,000
Jewel Bearings.....................  PC                               31,000,000      52,000,000      52,000,000
Kyanite............................  SDT                                   1,200               0               0
Lead...............................  ST                                   60,000               0          60,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Natural...  SDT                                  20,000               0          20,000
Manganese, Battery Grade Synthetic.  SDT                                   3,011               0           3,011
Manganese, Chemical Grade..........  SDT                                  40,000               0          40,000
Manganese, Ferro...................  ST                                   50,000               0          50,000
Manganese, Metal Electrolytic......  ST                                    2,000               0           2,000
Manganese, Metallurgical Grade.....  SDT                                 250,000               0         250,000
Mercury............................  FL                                   20,000               0          20,000
Mica (All Types)...................  LB                                2,260,000               0       2,260,000
Nickel.............................  ST                                   10,000               0           2,000
Palladium..........................  TR Oz                                15,000         200,000         300,000
Platinum...........................  TR Oz                                10,000         125,000         125,000
Quinidine..........................  Av Oz                               750,000               0         750,000

[[Page 56150]]

                                                                                                                
Quinine............................  Av Oz                               750,000               0          750,00
Rubber.............................  LT                                  125,000               0               0
Sebacic Acid.......................  LB                                1,000,000               0       1,000,000
Silicon Carbide....................  ST                                    9,000               0           9,000
Silver (for coinage)...............  Tr Oz                             9,000,000               0       9,000,000
Talc...............................  ST                                    1,000               0           1,000
Tantalum Carbide Powder............  LB Ta                                 2,000               0           2,000
Tantalum Minerals..................  LB Ta                               100,000               0         100,000
Tantalum Oxide.....................  LB Ta                                20,000               0          20,000
Thorium Nitrate....................  LB                                1,000,000               0       1,000,000
Tin................................  MT                                   12,000               0          12,000
Titanium Sponge....................  ST                                        0           4,000           5,000
Tungsten, Carbide..................  Lb W                                      0         100,000         100,000
Tungsten, Ferro....................  LB W                                      0         100,000         100,000
Tungsten, Metal Powder.............  LB W                                      0         100,000         100,000
Tungsten Ores & Concentrates.......  LB W                                      0       1,000,000       1,000,000
Vanadium Pentoxide.................  ST V                                    200               0               0
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut.  LT                                    7,500               0           7,500
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebrac..  LT                                   10,000               0          10,000
Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle...  LT                                   10,000               0          10,000
Zinc...............................  ST                                   50,000               0          50,000
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[FR Doc. 97-28645 Filed 10-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P