Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen - December 2019 | Page 13

NUCA of Florida members have always supported efforts to increase awareness about damage prevention safety for underground utilities. We have been proponents of punishing “bad actors” and unlicensed contractors and encouraged our members to be sure to “Call before you dig!” This year, other stakeholders in the industry, namely the Florida Natural Gas Association and TECO Peoples Gas have put forth legislation to promote damage prevention and avoid a gas explosion because some operator failed to follow protocol. The legislation is also intended to comply with the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) requirement that each state must have an enforcement arm to oversee the program, which currently Florida does not have a state agency or entity charged with enforcement which leaves our member companies at risk for fines beginning at $200K and going as high as $2M! Although we are awaiting PHMSA’s take on this proposed legislation, the bills continue to make their way through the process. Underground Facility Damage Prevention—HB 1095 by Rep. Fitzenhagen/SB 1464 by Flores These bills amends Ch. 556, F.S., to: ■ Expand the list of entities that may issue citations for violations of Chapter 556, F.S., to include the State Fire Marshal and local fire chiefs. ■ Increase the maximum civil penalty (up to $2,500 plus 5 percent, in addition to any other court costs) for certain violations of Chapter 556, F.S., that involve an underground pipe or facility transporting hazardous materials regulated by the U.S. DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA). One hundred percent of the civil penalty will be distributed to the entity that issued the citation. ■ Specifically, the following violations—which are already law-- are subject to this enhanced civil penalty: ■ Failure by an excavator to comply with s. 556.105(1), F.S., which requires an excavator to provide notice and certain information to the Sunshine 811 system within specified timeframes prior to beginning excavation of demolition work. ■ Failure by an excavator to comply with s. 556.105(5)(c), F.S., which requires an excavator to use increased caution when working within a tolerance zone, such as hand digging, pot holing, soft digging, vacuum methods, or other similar procedures. DECEMBER 2019 • DITCHMEN 11