CATHLAMET, Wash. — Using Mexican-made steel in a new ramp for the Puget Island ferry might cause the federal government to pull its share of the money for the $2.8 million project, Wahkiakum County officials said.

A contractor used the steel in the ramp’s pontoon, which violates the government’s requirement that U.S. steel be used in projects paid for by stimulus money, said County Public Works Director Pete Ringen.

The Federal Highway Administration told the county last week that it must either replace the pontoon or relinquish nearly $2.3 million the government is providing.

The pontoon is being used in a temporary landing for the Columbia River ferry, which is not a violation, but is to be transferred to the permanent ramp, scheduled to open Wednesday.

Ringen told The Daily News of Longview that the county recognized the problem when the contractor, Astoria, Ore.-based Bergerson Construction, sought a $178,000 payment in December for that portion of the project. The county held back the money and notified federal officials.

Ringen said Bergerson told him the requirement was accidentally overlooked.

“It was obvious in the contract,” Ringen said. “It was in black and white. (The contractor) has admitted to us he got in a hurry when he called for quotes, and it just skipped his mind to say these have to be made from U.S. steel.”

The highway agency told the county it must either replace the pontoon or relinquish the nearly $2.3 million in federal money.

The latter is not an option for the cash-strapped county, and Ringen said replacing the pontoon would force the contractor to tear apart much of the work, resulting in an added cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The situation won’t affect operation of the ferry, which runs from Wahkiakum County to Westport, Ore. Ringen said the permanent ramp will be used, although the county doesn’t intend to pay for the pontoon.

The county, contractor and federal officials are trying to work out a solution. Ringen said he thinks the contractor should be penalized, but the cost of replacing the pontoon is too harsh.

“It’s a good law, but is it really worth it to penalize the contractor that much?” Ringen said. “We want to uphold the law, but do we want to drive that contractor into the ground because of an inadvertent error? That’s the part we struggle with.”