Chapter 083
2017 -- H 5643 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/29/2017

A N   A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS

Introduced By: Representative Robert B. Jacquard
Date Introduced: March 01, 2017

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Sections 39-1.2-1, 39-1.2-5 and 39-1.2-11 of the General Laws in Chapter
39-1.2 entitled "Excavation Near Underground Utility Facilities" are hereby amended to read as
follows:
     39-1.2-1. Definitions.
     As used in this chapter:
     (1)(2) "Administrator" means the administrator of the division of public utilities and
carriers.
     (2)(3) "Approximate location of underground facilities" means a strip of land extending
not more than one and one-half (1 1/2) feet on either side of the underground facilities.
     (3)(4) "Association" means the group of public utilities formed pursuant to § 39-1.2-4 for
the purpose of receiving and giving notice of excavation activity within the state.
     (4)(5) "Damage" means and includes, but is not limited to, the substantial weakening of
structural or lateral support of a utility line, penetration, or destruction of any utility line
protective coating, housing, or other protective device or the severance, partial or complete, of
any utility line.
     (5)(6) "Demolition" means the wrecking, razing, rending, moving, or removing of any
structure.
     (6)(7) "Excavation" means an operation for the purpose of movement or removal of earth,
rock, or other materials in or on the ground, or otherwise disturbing the subsurface of the earth,
by the use of powered or mechanized equipment, including, but not limited to: digging, blasting,
auguring, back filling, test boring, drilling, pile driving, grading, plowing in, hammering, pulling
in, trenching, and tunneling; excluding the movement of earth by tools manipulated only by
human or animal power and the tilling of soil for agricultural purposes.
     (7)(8) "Governing authority" means the permit-issuing authority.
     (8)(11) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or a public
utility, including a person engaged as a contractor by a public agency and including a public
agency.
     (9)(12) "Public agency" means the state or any political subdivision thereof, including
any governmental agency.
     (10)(13) "Public utility" means the owner or operator of underground facilities for
furnishing electric, gas, telephone, or water service as defined in § 39-1-2(20); and also means
and includes, for the purposes of this chapter only, electric transmission companies and
nonregulated power producers, as defined in § 39-1-2(13) and (19); any cable television service;
and any water company which that voluntarily becomes a member of the association provided for
under § 39-1.2-4.
     (11)(14) "Public utility facilities" means the underground plant and equipment owned and
operated by a public utility for the purpose of furnishing electricity, gas, water, cable television
or telephone service; including the underground plant and equipment owned and operated by any
water company, not subject to regulation by the administrator of the division of the public
utilities, which that voluntarily joins the association provided for under § 39-1.2-4. Utility
facilities shall include active, newly installed, and inactive or abandoned, utility facilities.
     (12)(1) "Abandoned utility facilities" means any known underground or submerged
utility line or facility that has been permanently taken out of service. For excavation purposes, the
abandoned underground utility facilities should always be considered to be active utility service.
     (13)(10) "Inactive utility facilities" means any underground or submerged utility facilities
line or facility that has been temporarily taken out of service with the expectation of becoming
usable in the future.
     (14)(9) "Immediate danger to life and health" means likely to cause death or immediate
or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from such an environment.
     39-1.2-5. Notice of excavation.
     (a) Except as provided in § 39-1.2-9, any person, public agency, or public utility
responsible for excavating within one hundred feet (100') or for discharging explosives within
one hundred feet (100') of a public utility facility shall notify the association of the proposed
excavation or discharge at least seventy-two (72) hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and
holidays, but not more than thirty (30) days before commencing the excavation or discharge of
explosives. Actual excavation must thereupon commence within thirty (30) days and be
completed within sixty (60) days, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, or the excavator
must renotify the association. Each public utility shall, upon receipt of each notice of excavation,
mark within seventy-two (72) hours or, where applicable in accordance with § 39-1.2-12, re-mark
within forty-eight (48) hours, the location of all underground facilities.
     (b) Each excavator shall provide a description of the excavation location that shall
include:
     (1) The name of the city or town where the excavation will take place;
     (2) The name of the street, way, or route number where appropriate;
     (3) The name of the streets at the nearest intersection to the excavation;
     (4) The numbered address of buildings closest to the excavation; and
     (5) Any other description that will accurately define the excavation location, including
landmarks and utility pole numbers.
     (c) If an excavator determines that a public utility facility has been mismarked, the
excavator may notify the association and the appropriate public utility shall remark re-mark no
later than three (3) hours after receipt of notification from the association. The failure to mark or
re-mark the location of all underground facilities upon each notice of excavation shall constitute a
separate violation of this chapter. Where an excavation is to be made by a contractor as part of the
work required by a contract with the state or with any political subdivision thereof or other public
agency for the construction, reconstruction, relocation, or improvement of a public way or for the
installation of a railway track, conduit, sewer, or water main, the contractor shall be deemed to
have complied with the requirements of this section by giving one such notice to the association
as required by this section, except when unanticipated obstructions are encountered, setting forth
the location and the approximate time required to perform the work involved. In addition, the
initial notice shall indicate whether the excavation is anticipated to involve blasting and, if so, the
date on which and specific location at which the blasting is to occur. If after the commencement
of an excavation it is found there is an unanticipated obstruction requiring blasting, the excavator
shall give at least four (4) hours notice to the association before commencing the blasting. When
demolition of a building containing a public utility facility is proposed, the public utility or
utilities involved will be given written notice by registered mail at least ten (10) days prior to the
commencement of the demolition of the building. All notices shall include the name, address, and
telephone number of the entity giving notice; the name of the person, public agency, or public
utility performing the work; and the commencement date and proposed type of excavation,
demolition, or discharge of explosives. The association shall immediately transmit the
information to the public utilities whose facilities may be affected. An adequate record shall be
maintained by the association to document compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
     39-1.2-11. Damage -- Notice to public utility.
     (a) Upon the occurrence of any contact with, or damage to, any pipe, cable, or its
protective coating, or any other underground facility of a public utility, the appropriate and/or
affected public utility shall be notified immediately by the person or public agency responsible
for the operation causing the contact or damage prior to backfilling the excavation. Upon the
receipt of the notice, the public utility shall immediately dispatch personnel to the subject location
to effect temporary or permanent repair of the damage. Under no circumstances shall the
excavator backfill or conceal the damaged area until the public utility arrives at the subject
location. Upon the occurrence of a serious electrical short, or the escape of dangerous fluids or
gases from a broken line, the person or public agency responsible for the operations causing the
damage shall evacuate the immediate area while awaiting the arrival of the public utility
personnel. call 911 if the damage presents an immediate danger to life and health of employees or
pedestrians in the surrounding area. In the event of an immediate danger to life and health
occurrence, the area shall be evacuated until proper emergency services arrive.
     (b) Any person, public agency, or public utility shall report all suspected violations of this
chapter to the division of public utilities within thirty (30) days after learning of the
circumstances constituting the suspected violation.
     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC001358/SUB A
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