Legislation sponsored on April 15 by U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) would update the federal regulatory framework for foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders to ensure they are held to higher safety and inspection standards.
If enacted, the Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act of 2021, H.R. 2559, would help establish an equal playing field for American gas cylinder producers, according to the congressman’s office.
“This is about ensuring everyday products used by millions of American families are held to the same rigorous standards regardless of the country in which they are produced,” Rep. Balderson said. “As witnessed in other manufacturing sectors, certain foreign producers have intentionally thwarted safety and regulatory standards to gain a competitive advantage over domestic producers, potentially jeopardizing public safety in the process.”
H.R. 2559 would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reform the approval and inspection criteria for certain manufacturers from once every five years to once each year, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Balderson’s staff.
The bill also would better equip DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regulators and provide a more limited one-year authorization for manufacturers in countries that do not have a reciprocal process for meeting important safeguards, or have a track record of violating U.S. laws and regulations, the summary says.
The measure is supported by Worthington Industries President and CEO Andy Rose, who said, “Balderson is right to modernize US cylinder industry policy so that domestic and international manufacturers are held to the same requirements.” The Ohio company employs more than 1,600 people and has manufactured DOT-regulated cylinders in the United States for more than 50 years.