Notice2023-01852
Request for Comments on Helium Supply Risk
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 30, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentGeological Survey
Abstract
In light of recent geopolitical events and concurrent with the return of primary helium data-collection responsibility from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USGS is soliciting input from the public, including domestic helium users, that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether there is an increasing risk of helium-supply disruption; whether that risk stems from supply from countries that may be unwilling or unable to continue to supply the United States; and whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of increasing the Nation's import reliance or creating a concentration and risk of permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small number of international or domestic supply sources. The USGS is also soliciting input that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether potential disruptions to helium supply would jeopardize manufacturing or use of products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace, consumer electronics, and other industries.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5904-5905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01852]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX23GS00EMMA900]
Request for Comments on Helium Supply Risk
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment.
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SUMMARY: In light of recent geopolitical events and concurrent with the
return of primary helium data-collection responsibility from the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USGS
is soliciting input from the public, including domestic helium users,
that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether there is an increasing risk
of helium-supply disruption; whether that risk stems from supply from
countries that may be unwilling or unable to continue to supply the
United States; and whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of
increasing the Nation's import reliance or creating a concentration and
risk of permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small
number of international or domestic supply sources. The USGS is also
soliciting input that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether potential
disruptions to helium supply would jeopardize manufacturing or use of
products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace, consumer
electronics, and other industries.
DATES: Please submit written comments by March 16, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> by entering ``DOI-2022-0012'' in the Search bar and
clicking ``Search,'' or by mail to Request for comments on Helium
Supply Risk, MS-102, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr,
Reston, VA 20192.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Mosley, (703) 648-6312,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b3d9dedcc0dfd6caf3c6c0d4c09dd4dcc5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b2d8dfddc1ded7cbf2c7c1d5c19cd5ddc4">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Helium is important to the U.S. economy,
with uses including magnetic resonance imaging, lifting gas, analytical
and laboratory applications, electronics and semiconductor
manufacturing, welding, engineering and scientific applications, and
various minor applications.\1\ At present, the United States is the
world's leading helium producer and is a net exporter of helium. In
2021, fifteen plants in the United States extracted helium from natural
gas and produced crude helium; two plants extracted helium from natural
gas and produced Grade-A helium; and three plants purified helium from
other sources to produce Grade-A helium. Helium production outside the
United States was concentrated primarily in Qatar and Algeria. Both
countries, as well as Canada, Russia, and Tanzania, have the
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technical capacity to increase their production in the future.
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\1\ U.S. Geological Survey, 2022, Mineral commodity summaries
2022: U.S. Geological Survey, 202 p., <a href="https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2022">https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2022</a>.
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Helium did not meet the criteria for inclusion on the 2022 final
list of critical minerals (87 FR 10381). However, the USGS has noted
that several factors make helium a commodity that warrants watching.
The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 directed the sale of the Federal
Helium System by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The global shift
from conventional natural gas toward shale gas, which lacks recoverable
quantities of helium, has the potential to reduce the supply of helium.
While the United States has significant domestic helium-production
capacity, recent geopolitical events may impact foreign production
capacity.
Given the factors described above related to helium, the USGS is
soliciting public comments that will aid the USGS in analyzing:
(1) whether there is an increasing risk of supply disruption,
(2) whether that risk stems from supply from countries that may be
unwilling or unable to continue to supply the United States,
(3) whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of increasing
the Nation's import reliance or create a concentration and risk of
permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small number of
international or domestic supply sources,
(4) potential disruptions to helium supply due to foreign
geopolitical uncertainty, military conflict, civil unrest, or anti-
competitive behaviors, and
(5) whether such supply disruption would jeopardize manufacturing
or use of products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace,
consumer electronics, and other industries.
In conjunction with the sale of the Federal Helium System, the BLM
is returning responsibility for collecting data and reporting helium
production and consumption statistics to the USGS. Therefore, the USGS
is also seeking comments that will aid the USGS in:
(1) conducting comprehensive analyses of the helium supply chain,
(2) determining domestic helium consumers and their primary uses
for helium,
(3) identifying points of contact for helium producers, suppliers,
and consumers who might collaborate with the USGS in data collection
and survey development, and
(4) identifying additional types of information that might aid in
future USGS data collection on helium.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire comment, including your PII, may be
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee
that we will be able to do so. Please be aware that public comments
submitted in response to this Federal Register notice will have no
bearing on the closure of the federally managed helium reserve by the
BLM as directed by the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. Additionally, no
person is required to respond to this request for comments. Consistent
with 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(4), no person is asked to supply specific
information pertaining to themselves other than information necessary
for self-identification to receive USGS's full consideration of their
comment(s). The U.S. Government will not pay for any comments or
administrative costs incurred by those responding to this request for
comments.
Authority: Energy Act of 2020, (div. Z, Pub. L. 116-260; 30 U.S.C.
1606).
James D. Applegate,
Director, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023-01852 Filed 1-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
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