Minnesota Congressman Rick Nolan announced Thursday a legislative initiative to require that 100 percent of new pipelines in the US are made with US-produced steel.
Currently, the 100 percent steel requirement (also known as the “Buy America” Act) applies only to federally-funded projects, but Nolan’s “American Pipeline Jobs and Safety Act” would extend the requirement to private projects that are federally permitted.
The initiative is also a move to reduce the alleged negative effects of steel imports on the US economy, including mill and mine shut-downs.
The bill has been referred to committees in US Congress, and action on the bill should take place sometime next year.