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STATE LAW CHANGES IMPACT EXCAVATORS |
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New JULIE Provisions Limit Locate Request Life to 28-Calendar Days |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 28, 2004 |
CONTACT: Kevin T. Chmura |
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STATE OF ILLINOIS – Representatives of the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE, Inc.) are coordinating a proactive campaign to promote the importance of safe digging practices and remind excavators about the amendatory changes in the state law. One of these additions includes a provision limiting the locate request ticket life to 28-calendar days (effective March 1, 2004). “In 2003, amendatory language to the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act was created in a cooperative spirit with various stakeholders and approved unanimously by members of the Illinois General Assembly,” said Mark A. Frost, executive director of JULIE, Inc. “Damage prevention is a shared responsibility.” JULIE team members promote public awareness and education concerning the use of the system. Over the past few weeks alone, over 5,000 professional contractors and representatives from member utilities have attended safety presentations. In addition, materials have been distributed at a variety of industry-related events across the state. Highlights of the amendatory language to the Act include: · Clarifies the advance notice requirement of no earlier than 48 hours (exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), but no more than 14 calendar days prior to the start of excavation. · Creates a “ticket life” or specific expiration date for the locate request (Dig number) processed through the JULIE System (effective date is March 1, 2004). · Adds new language that states, “Owners and operators of underground utility facilities that are damaged and the excavator involved shall work in a cooperative and expeditious manner to repair the affected utility.” · Excuses sewer facility owners and operators from marking when their facilities are deeper than seven (7) feet and the indicated excavation is shallower. · Added black to the allowed colors to indicate “proposed excavation area” during winter when snow is on the ground. With the exception of the ticket life provision, the other changes became effective last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is responsible for the enforcement of the Act. More information, including fact sheets, free safety materials and the full text of the state law, is available on JULIE’s Web site at www.illinois1call.com. In addition, JULIE’s Damage Prevention Managers are available to assist with employee safety presentations and to answer questions about the state law and policies. The following is the contact information by region: Northern Illinois, David Van Wy, 847-635-7992 (office) 815-351-5002 (cell); Central Illinois, Dale Kuhn, 217-698-0813 (office), 217-725-0904 (cell); or Raymond Muhs, Southern Illinois, 618-662-2118 (office), 618-843-2513 (cell). JULIE, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation that provides professional and non-professional excavators with a toll-free number (1-800-892-0123) for the free locating and marking of underground facilities. JULIE serves as a message handling, notification service for underground facility owners, taking information about planned excavations and distributing this information to its membership. It is then the responsibility of each facility owner to mark the location of their underground facilities at the excavation site. JULIE neither owns nor marks any underground facilities. In 2004, JULIE, Inc. celebrates 30 years of damage prevention awareness.
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