April is National Safe Digging Month – Always Call 811 Before You Dig!
News Release
For Release:
April 1, 2009
Contact: Bob Innes
(804) 768-6410
(804) 512-1425 - cellular
rinnes@nisource.com
April is National Safe Digging Month – Always Call 811 Before You Dig!
CHESTER, VA. – April 1, 2009 – April 2009 has been designated National Safe Digging Month. In Virginia, the law requires any person planning to excavate or dig to call Miss Utility at 811 and request underground utility locates.
Last year, Columbia Gas of Virginia (Columbia) responded to 330 damages to its underground natural gas pipelines across the Commonwealth. Nearly 35% of these damages were the result of individuals or companies not calling Miss Utility at 811 before digging. These events create undesired consequences that could include the interruption of utility service, damage to the environment, personal injury or even death.
“Columbia takes seriously the safe operation of our natural gas facilities which is the result of extensive safety programs and practices,” said Dan Cote, general manager for Columbia. “Calling 811 before digging is the most important step in personal and public safety.”
Before you dig or excavate remember these key steps:
• Call 811 before you dig
o Once you call, the member utilities are alerted that may have facilities in your proposed excavation area. There is no fee for this service.
• Allow required time for marking
o Wait 48 hours, beginning 7:00 a.m. the next working day following notice, to allow the utilities to mark their facilities.
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April is National Safe Digging Month
• Respect the marks
o Protect and preserve the line-location markings from the time the excavation or demolition begins until they are no longer required for the proper and safe excavation near the utility lines
o Request remarking at anytime the markings become illegible for any reason
• Excavate carefully
o Conduct a site survey before beginning your project. Look for clear evidence of unmarked utilities. Clear evidence includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Visual evidence of an unmarked utility line
Knowledge of the presence of a utility line; or
Faded marks from previous markings
o If clear evidence of an unmarked utility line is identified, contact Miss Utility and notify them. Wait three hours from the time you notified Miss Utility before proceeding.
o Once the underground utility is located, the law requires that the excavator take all reasonable steps to properly protect, support and backfill underground utility lines. Also, an excavator must not use mechanized equipment within two feet of the extremities of all exposed utility lines.
National Safe Digging Month is a partnership with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Common Ground Alliance, Virginia Utility Protection Service (Miss Utility) and utility operators. This month celebrates the two-year anniversary of 811, the national call-before-you-dig number.
Columbia Gas of Virginia, with headquarters in Chesterfield County, is one of the 9 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). Columbia Gas of Virginia serves nearly 240,000 customers in portions of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, suburban Richmond, Central Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley, the Lynchburg region and parts of Western Virginia. NiSource distribution companies serve 3.8 million gas and electric customers primarily in nine states. More information about Columbia Gas of Virginia is available on the World Wide Web at www.columbiagasva.com.
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