iron & steel The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday adopted anamendment authored by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) torequire schools to use American made steel and iron in constructionprojects. The amendment to the 21st Century Green High-Performing PublicSchool Facilities Act (H.R. 3021) would apply to all modernization,renovation, or repair projects funded under this legislation. Our children deserve safe and healthy learning environments,Stupak said. We must ensure that the steel used in our schools isfrom American companies that meet proper safety and qualitystandards. Recently, there have been growing concerns regarding the quality ofsteel imports from China. In October 2007, the California Department of General Servicesposted an alert on defective Chinese steel tubing fabricated forschool construction projects. Inspectors at the San Pedro High School in Los Angeles discoveredthat steel tubing used in the construction of the schools gym hadbegun splitting and cracking. Similar problems were found in 16 other California schools. The steel used in these projects was made in China. Independent laboratory tests have confirmed that significantquantities of imported Chinese steel do not meet high-strengthrequirements. In April, Stupak joined fellow members of the Congressional SteelCaucus in questioning U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)about sub-standard steel from China being allowed to enter theUnited States and its use in federal infrastructure projects. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner DavidBaldwin testified that CBP does not conduct compliance checks tomonitor the strength, durability or hardness of the steel importedto the United States. This cheap imported steel is a danger to our children and iscompromising their safety, Stupak said. Until the federalgovernment can make sure imported steel from China and othercountries meets safety and quality standards, we should not allowit be used in our childrens school buildings. Stupak's amendment would require local education agencies to usesteel or iron produced in America for modernization, renovation, orrepair projects at public school facilities. The amendment includes provisions that will ensure that schools cancomply with these standards. If steel and iron produced in the U.S. will increase the cost ofthe project by more than 25 percent, and iron and steel fromelsewhere is proven safe, the agencies may use steel and iron fromother sources.
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