wastebook2014

WASTEBOOK 201427 $45,000A newly reconstructed bridge in the $52,000.”small town of Morrison, Colorado is in finecondition, but it may be ripped down andreconstructed—again—and the ramificationscould be international.Earlier this year, the one lane bridgethat serves as “the main link across a creekthat cuts through” this small town with apopulation of just 430 406 “got a new coat ofpaint, new wood planks and new steel to rununderneath it.” 407 The steel was cast in theU.S., “but rolled into beams across the borderin Canada.” 408The use of steel produced outside ofthe U.S. “violates the Buy America provisionsthat mandate federally funded projects usematerials made in the United States. Theviolation could mean a withdrawal of allfunding if the steel is not removed.” 409 That“means Morrison will either have to pay for thebridge itself – or rip it out and start fresh.” 410Morrison Mayor Sean Forey “agreesthat the foreign steel in question violatesthe $2,500 minimum allowed by the grantcontract” by $771.64. 411The project was expected to cost “justover $144,000,” with a grant from the FederalHighway Administration “was to coverNew Bridge Demolished for Using$3,271 Worth of Canadian Steel412 It will “take three months andmore than $20,000 to disassemble the bridge,replace the steel and rebuild.” 413A request by the town to waive the BuyAmerica rule has been rejected by the FederalHighway Administration. 414 “The Buy Americaprovisions are very clearly spelled out and areoften not negotiable,” says Steve Harelson,who is a project engineer for the ColoradoDepartment of Transportation. “It is involvedin every project and it’s in the specificationsfor every project,” he notes. “This is the firsttime I am aware of a project being rejectedbecause of a failure in this.” 415The town claims “the use of Canadianproducts was the contractor’s mistake,” butNew Design Construction claimed “it did notreceive the mill test reports, which tell buyerswhere products are made, until after theproduct was installed.” 416The bridge is a “lifeline” for many wholive in the town and endured its closure formonths this year while it underwent “majorreconstruction” 417 and now may have to gowithout its use for another three months.“It just seems like a waste of everybody’stime and money,” lamented Kara Zabilansky,Morrison’s town administrator. 418“Personally, I think it’s a big waste ofmaterials and lumber and there’s no needto throw away perfectly good materials thatare actually working and the community usesthem every day,” says Carrie Shipley, wholives next to the bridge. 419 “Why didn’t theymake sure all the materials were from theUnited States to begin with.” 420The mess up over this little bridge ismaking even bigger waves. Steel makers andsome municipalities are pushing for retaliatoryactions.“The kind of situation happening inColorado should be a wake-up call for theCanadian government,” said Jayson Myers,the chief executive officer the CanadianManufacturers and Exporters (CME), whichwant the Canadian government to imposesimilar restrictions on “infrastructure projects,such as the $5-billion (Canadian) replacementof Montreal’s Champlain Bridge.” 421Marcy Grossman, Canada’s consulgeneral based in Denver, asked “does it reallymake sense that $800 worth of Americansteel rolled in Canada may cost the Coloradotaxpayer an additional $20,000?” 422Kara Zabilansky, Morrison’s townadministrator, “is dismayed that her bridge isat the center of a cross-border backlash.” 423She acknowledges ““It’s pretty much a realbig mess.” 424The lesson is even when building a smallbridge, you must read the fine print or elsethere can be big consequences, especially fortaxpayers who get stuck paying the bill—inthis case maybe twice.28The newly reconstructed bridge in Morrison, Colorado is in fine condition, but it is going to be ripped down and reconstructed—again—and the ramifications may be international.