[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36666-36667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13142]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration


Notice to Operators of Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipelines 
To Encourage Continued Implementation of Safe Excavation Practices

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice: Protecting buried pipelines by using safe excavation 
practices.

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SUMMARY: RSPA is issuing this advisory notice to operators of natural 
gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to remind them of the importance of 
safe excavation practices. We have also asked our partners in the 
Common Ground Alliance, a new national non-profit damage prevention 
organization, and the Associated General Contractors of America and the 
National Utility Contractors Association, to help distribute this 
advisory.

I. Supplementary Information

    Several recent incidents have provided the impetus to remind the 
pipeline operators of the importance of safe excavation practices. 
Increase in construction activity coincides with the arrival of spring 
in many parts of the country and extends through the summer months. 
Construction activity requires excavators to work around buried 
pipelines and other underground facilities, such as water, sewer, 
electrical and phone lines. Many private citizens also undertake 
excavation projects in the spring and summer months such as gardening, 
installing mailboxes, outdoor lights and other projects that require 
digging. Figures for excavation damage from RSPA's Office of Pipeline 
Safety (OPS) show an upward trend in the warmer months.
    To protect construction workers and the general public and to guard 
the integrity of the nation's underground infrastructure, RSPA has 
implemented several damage prevention programs.
    These programs were developed in partnership with pipeline 
operators, excavators, one-call centers, locators, state pipeline 
safety agencies, and others involved in damage prevention for 
underground facilities.
    The Common Ground Study, issued by OPS, contains best practices for 
all

[[Page 36667]]

phases of damage prevention. In particular, pipeline operators need to 
provide accurate maps of their facilities to one-call centers; these 
maps must be updated regularly to reflect any changes. When locate 
requests are received, facility operators need to be sure that their 
facilities are marked in a timely and accurate manner whether this is 
done by operator staff or by contract locators. When facility operators 
are excavating, they need to call for locates of other facilities, 
observe the markings of those facilities and take care to avoid coming 
into contact with other lines while digging. RSPA urges pipeline 
operators to review the procedures identified in this study and to 
implement them.
    The Common Ground Study can be viewed on line at 
www.commongroundalliance.com.
    These best practices have been adopted by many professional 
associations including the Associated General Contractors, the National 
Utility Contractors Association, National Utility Locating Contractors 
Association and others in the damage prevention community. Promotion of 
these practices is now under the auspices of the Common Ground Alliance 
(CGA) which represents virtually every segment of the damage prevention 
community. CGA has also assumed responsibility for promotion of the Dig 
Safely Campaign launched by DOT in 1999 which identified four key steps 
in safe excavation:

--Call Before You Dig
--Wait the Required Time in Your State for Operators to Mark Their 
Facilities
--Observe Marks Indicating the Presence of Facilities When You Dig
--Dig With Care-protect both yourself and the facilities where you are 
digging.

    The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended an 
important additional step, that excavators should notify the pipeline 
operator immediately if their work damages a pipeline and that 
excavators should call 911 immediately if the damage results in a 
release of natural gas or other hazardous substances or potentially 
endangers, life, health or property.

II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB-02-01)

    To: Owners and Operators of Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid 
Pipeline Systems
    Subject: Notification to Stress the Importance of Safe Excavation 
Practices
    Advisory: The arrival of warmer weather coincides with a 
significant increase in construction activity both by professional 
excavators and home owners and renters. To protect excavators and 
private citizens from injury and to guard the integrity of buried 
pipelines and other underground facilities, OPS reminds all concerned 
to implement the best practices of the Common Ground Study and the four 
steps of the Dig Safely Campaign.

--Call Before You Dig
--Wait the Required Time in Your State for Operators to Mark Their 
Facilities
--Observe Marks Indicating the Presence of Facilities When You Dig
--Dig With Care-protect both yourself and the facilities where you are 
digging.

    We ask pipeline operators to undertake the following steps as part 
of their damage prevention efforts:

--increasing their vigilance on right-of-way inspections;
--reviewing their own procedures for following up on locate requests;
--ensuring that operator employees and contract employees follow Best 
Practices; and
--increasing outreach efforts to the excavator community during the 
spring season.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 17, 2002.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 02-13142 Filed 5-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P