Burns proposes legislation to protect and promote jobs in Pennsylvania
Rep. Frank Burns September 16, 2014
HARRISBURG, Sept. 16 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset, is introducing a bill designed to help keep U.S. steel plants operating while protecting Pennsylvania workers in the Marcellus Shale drilling industry.
His bill would require that all natural gas pipelines be manufactured with steel made in the U.S., and would include reconstruction, alterations, repairs, improvements, maintenance and new construction of the pipelines.
"Foreign countries are dumping steel into the U.S. market at a price well below U.S.-made steel products and avoiding international trade laws," Burns said. "Last year, steel dumping by foreign countries like South Korea accounted for nearly two-thirds of this country's domestic market. When our trade laws are not effectively enforced, it's a problem that means fewer jobs for Americans.
"This bill would help ensure that American jobs – Pennsylvania jobs – are protected."
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, state Department of Environmental Protection records show over the last two years, 77 percent of the shale wells drilled in Pennsylvania were built with foreign steel, while 12 percent used American steel and 11 percent were mixed.
"In today's economy, our No. 1 job should be the protection and promotion of American jobs. This legislation does both, while also protecting our environment from gas leaks caused by poorly manufactured foreign steel," Burns said.
This bill is part of an American Jobs First package regarding steel used in the Marcellus Shale industry in the commonwealth. Other bills would require gas well casings to be made with U.S.-manufactured steel and create an online public database that lists the country of origin for any steel product used in the completion of a gas well.