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 Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security [Docket No. 170802716-7716-01]
 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 2019 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, conversions, 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 5, 2017.
 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: 
                        *MIC@bis.doc.gov;*
                         and Landon Derentz, Energy Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, 2201 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20520, fax: (202) 647-4037 (Attn: Landon Derentz), email: 
                        *DerentzL@state.gov.*
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Parya Fenton, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-8228, fax: (202) 482-5650 (Attn: Parya Fenton), email: 
                        *MIC@bis.doc.gov.*


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 
                    ( print page 41928)
                    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, converted, recovered, 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, potential upgrade, potential conversion, potential recovery, or potential sale) associated with each material in its proposed FY 2019 Annual Materials Plan (“AMP”). The quantities listed in Attachment 1 are not acquisition, disposal, upgrade, conversion, recovery, or sales target quantities, but rather a statement of the proposed maximum quantity of each listed material that may be acquired, disposed of, upgraded, converted, recovered, 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, conversion, recovery, or upgrade by Congress. The Committee is seeking public comments on the potential market impact associated with the proposed FY 2019 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 2019 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 October 5, 2017. 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 25, 2017. Richard Ashooh, Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
 Attachment 1 Proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Materials Plan
Material
Unit
Quantity
FootnotePotential Disposals:Beryllium Metal
ST
6Chromium, Ferro
ST
23,500Chromium, Metal
ST
200Germanium Scrap
kg
5,000Manganese, Ferro
ST
50,000Manganese, Metallurgical Grade
SDT
322,025
(1
                            )Nickel Based Alloys
Lbs
150,000Platinum
Tr Oz
8,380PGM—Iridium
Tr Oz
489Tantalum Carbide Powder
Lb Ta
3,777Tantalum Scrap
Lbs
190Titanium Based Alloys
Lbs
75,000Tungsten Metal Powder
LB W
275,738
(1
                            )Tungsten Ores and Concentrates
LB W
3,000,000Zinc
ST
7,993Potential Acquisitions:Antimony
MT
1,100Boron Carbide
MT
1,000High Modulus High Strength Carbon Fibers
MT
72Carbon Fibers
m2
5,000CZT (Cadmium Zinc Tellurium substrates)
cm2
32,000Dysprosium
MT
0.5( print page 41929)Electrolytic Manganese Metal
MT
3,000Europium
MT
35Ferro-niobium
MT
209Lithium Ion Precursors
kg
19,000Rare Earths Elements
MT
416
(3
                            )Rare Earth Magnet Feedstock
MT
100
(3
                            )Rayon
MT
600Silicon Carbide Fibers
Lbs
875TATB (Triamino-Trinitrobenzene)
LB
48,000Tantalum
Lb Ta
33,990Tin
MT
40Tungsten Rhenium Metal
kg
5,000Yttrium Oxide
MT
10Potential Conversions (Upgrade, rotation, reprocessing, etc.):Beryllium Metal
ST
5CZT (Cadmium Zinc Tellurium substrates)
cm2
32,000High Modulus High Strength Carbon Fibers
MT
72Dysprosium
MT
0.5Europium
MT
35Germanium Scrap
kg
5,000Iridium Catalyst
Lbs
50Rare Earths Elements
MT
416
(3
                            )Silicon Carbide Fibers
Lbs
875Tin
MT
804Potential Recovery from Government Sources:Bearing Steel
MT
50E-Waste
MT
50
(2
                            )Gadolinium Oxide
MT
4Germanium (Scrap)
kg
5,000Iridium Catalyst (Scrap)
Lbs
50Lithium Ion Precursors
MT
25Magnesium Metal
MT
10Nickel Based Alloys
Lbs
150,000Rare Earth Elements—Magnets
MT
100Rhenium Metal
kg
500Permanent Magnet Alloys
kg
500Tantalum
MT
10Titanium Based Alloys (Scrap)
Lbs
75,000Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Rods (Scrap)
kg
250Zirconia Oxide
MT
4Footnote Key:1
                         Actual quantity will be limited to remaining inventory.2
                         Strategic and Critical Materials collected from E-Waste.3
                         Excludes acquisition of yttrium, dysprosium and europium as these rare earths were requested under separate legislation.


[FR Doc. 2017-18664 Filed 9-1-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-33-P