[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55744-55745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26759]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Notice of Availability of Information
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to change a
long-standing policy regarding access to documents compiled by the
Defense Minerals Administration, the Defense Minerals Exploration
Administration, and the Office of Minerals Exploration. Previously,
only the record title holder of the underlying property or a person
with written permission from the record title holder had access to the
documents. The USGS purposes to make this information available to any
requester.
EFFECTIVE DATE: December 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Kathleen M. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey, 913 National
Center, Reston, VA 20192.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen M. Johnson, 703-648-6110.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1950, Congress enacted the Defense
Production Act, 50 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2061 et seq. authorizing the
President to ``make provision * * * for the encouragement of
exploration, development, and mining of critical and strategic
minerals, metals, and materials.'' Id. Sec. 2093. The President
delegated his authority under the Act to various Federal agencies,
including the Department of the Interior. Exec. Order No. 10,161, 15 FR
6105 (1950). Under this delegated authority, the Secretary of the
Interior established the Defense Minerals Administration (DMA). Sec.
Order No. 2605, 15 FR 8718 (1950). The DMA's purpose was to maintain
production from existing mineral sources, to expand production from
known but inactive sources, and to provide Government support for
exploration of new mineral deposits. GEORGE F. HOWE, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, HISTORY OF DEFENSE AGENCIES, Part IV
(1953). To further the third stated purpose, the DMA started a program
to provide funds for exploration projects for ``unknown or undeveloped
sources of strategic or critical metals and minerals.'' Mineral Order
No. 5, 16 FR 3183 (1951). Before its termination on November 20, 1951,
the DMA received 1,015 requests for assistance. Id. at 77. Of these, as
of October 30, 1951, 153 had resulted in contracts, 324 had been
denied, 40 had been withdrawn by the applicant, and 489 were pending.
Id. at Appendix VI, Part IV.
Although the DMA had been terminated, the Department of the
Interior continued the program for exploration assistance with the
formulation of the Defense Minerals Exploration Administration (DMEA).
Secretarial Order No. 2726, 18 FR 3804 (1953). The DMEA operated
similarly to the DMA. See DMEA Order No. 1, 17 FR 2090 (1952). The DMEA
was terminated on June 30, 1958. 23 FR 4003 (1958). Before its
termination, the DMEA received 3,888 applications for assistance, and
1,159 applications were approved and executed into contracts. H.R. Rep.
No. 85-2276, 1958 U.S.C.C.A.N. 3701. Of the applications executed into
contract, 337 were certified as having discovered a significant amount
of ore. Id. At the time the DMEA was terminated, there were 170
contracts in force. Id.
In August of 1958, Congress enacted Public Law 85-701, 72 Stat. 700
(1958), authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to enter into
exploration contracts providing for Government financial assistance for
the discovery of domestic mineral reserves. 30 U.S.C. 641 et seq. Under
this authority, the Secretary of the Interior established the Office of
Minerals Exploration (OME). Secretarial Order No. 2834, 23 FR 7555
(1958). The program for exploration assistance under the OME was
similar to that under the DMA and DMEA. See 30 CFR part 301 (1958).
In 1965, OME and its functions were transferred to the USGS. 30 FR
2865 (1965). After fiscal year 1974, USGS did not request
appropriations for new contract funds, and in 1979, Congress
discontinued funding for the OME program.
These programs produced a variety of technical information in the
proposed work plans, monthly progress reports, inspection reports,
final reports (final reports were prepared by both the Government and
the contractor), and audits, among other routine correspondence between
the application and the Government. The Government entered into
contracts with entities in 44 States; the 6 States that did not have
contracts are Delaware, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and
Rhode Island. The files from these contracts were stored in various
Federal archival locations. However, in 1996, the USGS consolidated all
of the DMA, DMEA, and OME files in its office in Spokane, Washington.
Access to the information contained in the files was limited to
either the current property owner or to anyone with a letter of
authorization from the current property owner. USGS had limited access
to these documents because of the business-sensitive nature of some
information contained within them. USGS recently reviewed both its
authority to withhold the information contained in these files and the
policy of withholding the information. As a result of this review, USGS
believes that because the exploration assistance programs are no longer
in existence, and the vast majority of the properties and companies
described no longer exist in their original forms, release of this
information will not harm the business interests of the companies or
[[Page 55745]]
individuals who submitted it. For these reasons, USGS believes it is no
longer necessary to withhold this information, and is seeking comments
on this proposed change in its policy.
Dated: October 7, 1999.
P. Patrick Leahy,
Chief Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 99-26759 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]
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