Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.: National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee— Zirconium ore disposal; comment request,

[Federal Register: May 19, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 96)]

[Notices]

[Page 27233-27234]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr19my99-26]

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 comment on the potential market impact of proposed disposals of excess commodities currently held in the National Defense Stockpile.

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee seeks public comment on the potential market impact of Department of Defense proposed new material disposal of zirconium ore, from the Stockpile under the Fiscal Year 1999 Annual Materials Plan (AMP). The Committee also seeks public comment on the Department of Defense plan to increase its current disposal levels for Vegetable Tannin Extract (Quebracho) and Thorium Nitrate under the AMP.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 18, 1999.

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, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20230; FAX (202) 501-0657.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, U.S.

[[Page 27234]]

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 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. In making disposals and acquisitions of Stockpile materials, Defense is required by law to refrain from causing undue market disruption, while at the same time protecting the government against avoidable loss.

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 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 Committee is now considering Defense's proposed new Stockpile material disposal level and revisions to current Stockpile material disposal levels under the FY 1999 AMP. The new Stockpile material listed in bold in Attachment 1 cannot be sold until Congress has approved its disposal. It is expected that Congress will soon grant disposal authority.

The FY 1993 NDAA 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.'' In order for the Committee to obtain sufficient information to prepare its recommendations to Defense, the Committee hereby requests that interested parties provide comment on the potential market impact of the commodities identified in Attachment 1.

The attached AMP listing includes the proposed maximum disposal quantity for each material. These quantities are not sales target disposal quantities. They are only a statement of the proposed maximum disposal quantity of each material that may be sold in a particular fiscal year. The quantity of each material that will actually be offered for sale will depend on the market for the material at the time as well as on the quantity of 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 sale of these commodities. Although comments in response to this Notice must be received by June 18, 1999 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 these 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. Information 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 6883, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-0109. 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 Henry Gaston, the Bureau of Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at the above address and telephone number.

Dated: May 14, 1999. Brad I. Botwin, Acting Director, Strategic Industries and Economic Security.

Attachment 1

Proposed Revisions to Current FY 1999 AMP [The material in bold and italic is under congressional consideration]

Current FY Revised FY Units

1999

1999 quantity quantity

Thorium Nitrate.............. Lb............. 1,000,000 7,091,891 VTE, Quebracho............... LT............. 10,000 16,000 Zirconium ore (baddeleyite).. SDT............

0 17,383

[FR Doc. 99-12612Filed5-18-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P