[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42271-42273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17460]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Industry and Security
[Docket No. 120705216-2216-01]
National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for
Public Comments on the Potential Market Impact of Proposed Supplement
to the Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Materials Plan
AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry.
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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 supplement to the Fiscal Year
2013 Annual Materials Plan related to two
[[Page 42272]]
material research and development projects and the proposed revisions
to the Annual Materials Plan for four materials currently in the
National Defense Stockpile. The research and development projects
involve two materials--cadmium zinc tellurium (CZT) substrates and
triamino trinitrobenzene (TATB). The revisions pertain to four
materials--germanium; manganese, metallurgical grade; platinum--
iridium; and zinc. 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 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 August
17, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Michael
Vaccaro, 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:
Michael Vaccaro), email: MIC@bis.doc.gov; and Douglas Kramer, U.S.
Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, Office of Europe,
Middle East, and Africa, 2201 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20520, fax:
(202) 647-4037 (Attn: Douglas Kramer), or email: KramerDR@state.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Heidenreich, Office of Strategic
Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Telephone: (202) 482-7417.
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, 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 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-I) 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.
In Attachment 1, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) lists the
quantities of materials associated with the two material research and
development projects to supplement its FY 2013 Annual Materials Plan.
The two material research and development projects relate to DLA
establishing vendor-owned buffer inventories in the United States for
cadmium zinc tellurium (CZT) substrates and triamino trinitrobenzene
(TATB) up to the levels enumerated in Attachment 1. In these material
research and development projects, DLA would enter into arrangements
with vendors to maintain inventories of the two materials with options
that DLA could purchase material if needed.
DLA is required to supplement its FY 2013 Annual Materials Plan to
account for the two material research and development projects because
DLA will be using the Defense National Stockpile Transaction Fund to
pay for the two material research and development projects. The
quantities listed in Attachment 1 are not acquisition target
quantities, but rather a statement of the proposed maximum quantity of
each listed material that may be associated with the two material
research and development projects in FY 2013. DLA is not proposing to
acquire these materials and add them to the National Defense Stockpile.
The quantity of each material that will actually be associated with the
two material research and development projects will depend on the
market for the materials during the fiscal year as well as on the
quantity of each material approved for these material research and
development projects by Congress.
In Attachment 2, DLA lists proposed revisions to the quantities in
the approved FY 2013 Annual Materials Plan for four materials. The
quantities listed in Attachment 2 are not disposal or sales target
quantities, but rather a statement of the proposed maximum disposal
quantity of each listed material that may be sold in a particular
fiscal year by the DLA as noted. 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 is seeking public comments on the potential market
impact associated with the two material research and development
projects and the proposed revisions to the FY 2013 AMP for four
materials as enumerated in Attachments 1 and 2. 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 two material research and development projects and the four
proposed revisions to the FY 2013 AMP. All comments must be submitted
to the address 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 August 17, 2012. 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.
[[Page 42273]]
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: July 12, 2012.
Kevin J. Wolf,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
Attachment 1
Proposed Supplement to Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Materials Plan
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Material Unit Quantity Footnote
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Cadmium Zinc Tellurium (CZT) substrates.. cm\2\ 40,000 1
Triamino Trinitrobenzene (TATB).......... LB 24,000 1
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\1\ Vendor-owned buffer inventory material research and development
project.
Attachment 2
Proposed Revisions to Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Materials Plan
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Proposed
Material Unit revised Approved Footnote
quantity quantity
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Germanium..................... kg 3,000 0 1
Manganese Metallurgical Grade. SDT 100,000 222,025 2
Platinum--Iridium............. Tr Oz 568 0 1
Zinc.......................... ST 7,992 0 2, 3
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\1\ Upgrade project.
\2\ Disposal.
\3\ Actual quantity will be limited to remaining inventory.
[FR Doc. 2012-17460 Filed 7-17-12; 8:45 am]
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