[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1278 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1278

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                           May 5, 2010.
Whereas each year there are over 200,000 incidences of unintentional damage to 
        underground utility infrastructure (including pipelines, electrical, 
        telecommunications, water, and sewer lines), many as a result of an 
        individual who fails to have underground utilities lines located before 
        digging;
Whereas there are 2,534,000 miles of pipelines, of which 2,036,800 are for 
        distribution of natural gas, 323,600 for transmission of natural gas, 
        and 173,500 for hazardous materials including oil;
Whereas some utility lines are buried only a few inches underground, making them 
        easy to strike even during shallow digging projects;
Whereas failure to locate underground utility lines before digging may have 
        unintended consequences such as service interruption, environmental 
        damage, property damage, personal injury, and even death;
Whereas State one-call notification programs allow homeowners and excavators to 
        have underground utilities located and marked before conducting digging 
        or excavation activities;
Whereas Congress first established minimum standards for State one-call 
        notification programs and authorized appropriations for Federal grants 
        to improve State one-call notification programs in the Transportation 
        Equity Act for the 21st Century in 1998;
Whereas Congress required a 3-digit, nationwide toll-free number be established 
        to be used by State one-call systems in the Pipeline Safety Improvement 
        Act of 2002;
Whereas in 2005, ``811'' was designated as the nationwide one-call number for 
        homeowners and excavators to call before conducting digging or 
        excavation activities;
Whereas in the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 
        2006 Congress authorized the Secretary of Transportation to issue civil 
        penalties to any owner or operator of a pipeline facility who fails to 
        respond to a request to mark an underground pipeline facility, any 
        individual who fails to use a State's one-call system prior to digging 
        or excavation activities, or any individual who disregards location 
        information or markings while digging or excavating;
Whereas the one-call system has helped reduce the number of digging damages 
        caused by failure to locate underground utilities prior to digging from 
        57 percent in 2004 to 37.5 percent in 2009;
Whereas the 1,400 members of the Common Ground Alliance, who are dedicated to 
        ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of 
        services by promoting effective damage prevention practices, promote the 
        national ``Call Before You Dig'' campaign to increase public awareness 
        about the importance of calling 811 to identify the exact location of 
        underground utility lines;
Whereas the Common Ground Alliance has designated April as National Safe Digging 
        month in order to increase awareness of safe digging practices across 
        the country and to celebrate the anniversary of the designation of 811 
        as the national ``Call Before You Dig'' number; and
Whereas April is the beginning of the peak of excavation projects around the 
        Nation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of 
National Safe Digging Month, and encourages all homeowners and excavators 
throughout the country to call 811 before conducting any digging or excavation 
activities.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.