National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile Disposals for FY 2007

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 050923246-5246-01]

National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Stockpile Disposals for FY 2007

AGENCY:

U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of inquiry.

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 the proposed disposal levels for excess materials from the National Defense Stockpile for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Annual Materials Plan (AMP).

DATES:

Comments must be received by November 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments should be sent to either William J. Denk, Co-chair, National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; Fax: (202) 482-5650; E-mail:

wdenk@bis.doc.gov;

or to Stanley Specht, Co-chair, National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Fax: (202) 647-8758; E-mail:

spechtsh@state.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eddy Aparicio, Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, telephone: (202) 482-8234; E-mail:

eaparici@bis.doc.gov.

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 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 contained in the stockpile.

In Attachment 1, the Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) lists the proposed quantities that are enumerated in the stockpile inventory for the FY 2007 Annual Materials Plan (AMP). The Committee is seeking public comments on the potential market impact of the sale of these materials.

The quantities listed in Attachment 1 are not disposal or sale target quantities. They are only a statement of the proposed maximum disposal quantity of each listed material that may be sold in a particular fiscal year by the DNSC. 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 as well as on the quantity of each 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 November 7, 2005 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 these commodities. Public comments are 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 record. The Committee will seek to protect such information to the extent permitted by law.

The records related to this Notice will be made accessible in accordance with the regulations published in Part 4 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 CFR 4.1,

et seq.

). Specifically, the Bureau of Industry and Security's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reading room is located on its Web page found at

http://www.bis.doc.gov/foia/default.htm.

Copies of the public comments received will be maintained on the Web site. If requesters cannot access the Web site, they may call (202) 482-2165 for assistance.

Dated: September 30, 2005.

Matthew S. Borman,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment 1

Proposed FY 2007 Annual Materials Plan

Material

Unit

Quantity

Footnote

Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive

ST

6,000

Bauxite, Metallurgical Jamaican

LDT

2,000,000

Bauxite, Metallurgical Surinam

LDT

2,000

Bauxite, Refractory

LCT

10,000

Beryl Ore

ST

4,000

Beryllium Metal

ST

40

Beryllium Copper Master Alloy

ST

1,200

Chromite, Chemical

SDT

5,000

Chromite, Refractory

SDT

93,000

Chromium, Ferro

ST

150,000

Chromium, Metal

ST

1,000

Cobalt

LB Co

2,000,000

1

Columbium Concentrates

LB Cb

560,000

Columbium Metal Ingots

LB Cb

20,000

Diamond Stone

ct

520,000

1

Fluorspar, Acid Grade

SDT

12,000

1

Fluorspar, Metallurgical Grade

SDT

60,000

1

Germanium

Kg

8,000

Graphite

ST

60

1

Iodine

LB

1,000,000

1

Jewel Bearings

PC

82,051,558

1

Lead

ST

35,000

1

Manganese, Battery Grade, Natural

SDT

30,000

1

Manganese, Battery Grade, Synthetic

SDT

3,011

Manganese, Chemical Grade

SDT

40,000

Manganese, Ferro

ST

100,000

Manganese, Metallurgical Grade

SDT

500,000

Mica, All

LB

17,000

1

Platinum

Tr Oz

9,000

1

Platinum—Iridium

Tr Oz

6,000

Quinidine

Av Oz

21,000

Talc

ST

1,000

Tantalum Carbide Powder

LB Ta

4,000

Tantalum Metal Powder

LB Ta

10,000

1

Tantalum Minerals

LB Ta

500,000

Tantalum Oxide

LB Ta

20,000

Tin

MT

12,000

Tungsten Ferro

LB W

300,000

1

Tungsten Metal Powder

LB W

300,000

Tungsten Ores & Concentrates

LB W

8,000,000

VTE, Chestnut

LT

120

1

VTE, Quebracho

LT

6,000

VTE, Wattle

LT

300

1

Zinc

ST

50,000

Notes:

1. Actual quantity will be limited to remaining inventory.

[FR Doc. 05-20044 Filed 10-5-05; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P