NewsBreak! Articles > June 8, 2011

SC UNDERGROUND DAMAGE PREVENTION LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW

On June 7, Gov. Nikki Haley signed the underground utility safety and damage prevention legislation into law, less than three months after it was filed in the Senate.

Carolinas AGC and its members have been pushing for changes to the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act in South Carolina for over 15 years, working with numerous stakeholders on the national, state and local level. CAGC is proud to have this legislation signed into the law by Gov. Nikki Haley.

The legislation calls for:

Mandatory one-call center membership: South Carolina will now require all utilities to be members of the 811 "Call Before You Dig" service, on a three-phase in process, meaning one call is all professional excavators, homeowners and others need to make to notify utilities of proposed excavation.

Positive response: Utilities are required to respond and coordinate responses with those who give notice before digging. This closes the communication circle between the time a notice of intent to dig is submitted and affected utilities respond.

Tolerance zones: The actual tolerance zone for locating and safe digging in the vicinity of underground utilities is now 24 inches. This was reduced from 30 inches. South Carolina was one of only three states in the nation who had such a wide tolerance.

Modernization: Many new technologies and standards have been adopted since the law was originally enacted in 1978. Many smaller changes were made to integrate new standards, technologies and practices into state law.

811/One-Call Center governance: The membership for board seats for the state's One Call Center was increased, with specified seats being selected for various stakeholder groups. The construction industry will now have a stronger voice in the SC 811 call before you dig process.

Enforcement: All stakeholders will be held accountable for their fulfilling their responsibilities in the one call safety and damage prevention process. Violations will now be divided between the Attorney General's office and the state's General Fund.

Federal Intervention: The federal government has given states until 2013 to bring their underground utility safety and damage prevention laws up-to-date before they may intervene. This law brings South Carolina more in-line with federal government standards.

To View Legislation Click Here

"This legislation will help ensure public and workforce safety and the integrity of vital facilities. In addition it spells out each stakeholders responsibility in the one call process and provides mechanisms to hold all stakeholders responsible for fulfilling those responsibilities," said CAGC Utility Division Director Allen Gray.