Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida | Page 19

 Develop FAQ’s.  Develop a timeline.  Develop training. So how effective is Florida’s One-Call? Let’s take a look at the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. Originally passed in 1993, the law created the notification system Sunshine State One-Call of Florida aka, Sunshine 811. Though Chapter 556 F.S. has enforcement provisions, most agree that they fall short of the criteria that PHMSA will use in evaluating the effectiveness of states enforcement program. If a state’s program does not measure up the federal criteria PHMSA will notify the state. The state will have 30 days to respond. The Sunshine 811 board has been struggling for several years on how to enforce Florida’s damage prevention laws. Currently the board is taking a measured approached on the development of legislation that would address PHMSA’s enforcement criteria as well as the twenty two exemptions in the current law. Exemptions are also on PHMSA’s radar. They recognize some exemptions are needed and will allow limited exemptions. However, the states will more than likely have to provide written justification. Currently, Sunshine 811 is working on legislation with the intent of developing consensus and support for mandatory damage reporting for member operators during the 2017 Florida Legislative Session. A damage report will be required whenever there is an incident that results in damage to any pipe, cable or its protective coating. The report will go to Sunshine 811 and will include, if known, the cause, nature and location of the damage. It is the hope of the Sunshine 811 Board that this information will provide them with the tools necessary to develop a more focused enforcement program, one that goes after the bad actors. I will continue to monitor this issue and will be reporting on any updates to the PHMSA Rule or proposed legislation by Sunshine 811. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on this issue.