Whew! EPA Eases Stimulus 'Buy American' Rule

Water Technology Online (08/10/09)

Under a nationwide waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the "buy American" rule in the stimulus package will be eased somewhat for "de minimis incidental components" of eligible water infrastructure projects receiving stimulus funding. These could include the "thousands of miscellaneous, generally low-cost components that are essential for, but incidental to, the construction and are incorporated into the physical structure of the project, such as nuts, bolts, other fasteners, tubing, gaskets, etc," EPA said. The components covered by the waiver can "cumulatively comprise no more than a total of 5 percent of the total cost of the materials used in and incorporated into a project."