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[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10875-10876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4114]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration

National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for 
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile 
Sales of Palladium

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment on the potential market 
impact of a proposed increase in the disposal level of palladium from 
the National Defense Stockpile under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 Annual 
Materials Plan (AMP) and the proposed FY 2002 AMP.

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SUMMARY: 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 a proposed increase in the disposal of palladium from the 
National Defense Stockpile under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 Annual 
Materials Plan (AMP) and the proposed FY 2002 AMP.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 22, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Richard V. Meyers, Co-
Chair, Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, Bureau of Export 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; FAX: (202) 482-5650; E-
Mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic 
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Export Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, (202) 482-3634; or Terri L. Robl, 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 Department of Defense (DOD), 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 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 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 FY 1993 NDAA also 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 National Defense Stockpile Administrator has proposed revising 
both the current FY 2001 Annual Materials Plan (AMP) and the proposed 
FY 2002 AMP (both AMPs previously approved by Committee) to increase 
the disposal quantity of palladium from 300,000 tr. oz. to 600,000 tr. 
oz. The proposed increase will permit additional quantities of 
palladium to be sold at historically high prices for the material and 
will also provide a supply of the material into a world market 
currently experiencing a severe shortage. The Committee is seeking 
public comment on the potential market impact of this proposed 
increase.
    The quantity of palladium (including the proposed increase) listed 
in both the FY 2001 and proposed FY 2002 AMPs are not sales target 
disposal quantities. They are only a statement of the proposed maximum 
disposal quantity of the material that may be sold in a particular 
fiscal year. The quantity of

[[Page 10876]]

material that will actually be offered for sale will depend on the 
market for the material at the time of the offering as well as on the 
quantity of the material approved for disposal by Congress.
    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 proposed increased 
disposal level of palladium. Although comments in response to this 
Notice must be received by March 22, 2001 to ensure full consideration 
by the Committee, interested parties are encouraged to submit comments 
and supporting information at any time thereafter to keep the Committee 
informed as to the market impact of the sale of palladium. 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. 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. The 
Committee will seek to protect such information to the extent permitted 
by law.
    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. Dawnielle Battle, the Bureau of 
Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at the above 
address and telephone number.

    Dated: February 13, 2001.
Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-4114 Filed 2-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P
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