Buy America Waiver Notification

Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
October 15, 2015

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62152-62153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26191]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Buy America Waiver Notification

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice provides information regarding FHWA's finding that 
a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the use of non-domestic Vanessa 
30,000 series water line valves (two 42 inch, three 16 inch, and one 8 
inch) for the Woodmen Road corridor improvement project, phase 2 in 
Colorado Springs, Colorado.

DATES: The effective date of the waiver is October 16, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, 
please contact Mr. Gerald Yakowenko, FHWA Office of Program 
Administration, (202) 366-1562, or via email at 
gerald.yakowenko@dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Mr. Jomar 
Maldonado, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1373, or via 
email at Jomar.Maldonado@dot.gov. Office hours for the FHWA are from 
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the 
Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Background

    The FHWA's Buy America policy in 23 CFR 635.410 requires a domestic 
manufacturing process for any steel or iron products (including 
protective coatings) that are permanently incorporated in a Federal-aid 
construction project. The regulation also provides for a waiver of the 
Buy America requirements when the application would be inconsistent 
with the public interest or when satisfactory quality domestic steel 
and iron products are not sufficiently available. This notice provides 
information regarding FHWA's finding that a Buy America waiver is 
appropriate for use of non-domestic Vanessa 30,000 series water line 
valves (two 42 inch, three 16 inch, and one 8 inch) for the Woodmen 
Road corridor improvement project, phase 2, in Colorado Spring, 
Colorado. These waterline materials are required to relocate an 
existing 42 inch high pressure water line outside of the roadway. These 
valves would meet a zero leakage performance that is necessary for 
worker safety during water line construction.
    In accordance with Division K, section 122 of the ``Consolidated 
and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015'' (Pub. L. 113-235), 
FHWA published a notice of intent to issue a waiver on its Web site 
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/contracts/waivers.cfm?id=111) on 
August 18. The FHWA received no comments in response to the 
publication. Based on all the information available to the agency, FHWA 
concludes that there are no domestic manufacturers of Vanessa 30,000 
series water line valves.
    In accordance with the provisions of section 117 of the SAFETEA-LU 
Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-244, 122 Stat. 1572), 
FHWA is providing this notice as its finding that a waiver of Buy 
America requirements is appropriate. The FHWA invites public comment on 
this finding for an additional 15 days following the effective date of 
the finding. Comments may be submitted to FHWA's Web site

[[Page 62153]]

via the link provided to the waiver page noted above.
(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 313; Pub. L. 110-161, 23 CFR 635.410)

     Issued on: October 6, 2015.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-26191 Filed 10-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P