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Board hears staff analysis of ticket data on unmarked and unclaimed lines; stakeholders suggest two-way EPR and other fixes
Summary
Staff told the board that current ticketing processes do not reliably capture whether exposed, unmarked lines are claimed by operators; stakeholders urged improved reporting, including possible two-way EPR workflows, to close the feedback loop.
Board staff presented an informational item on what ticket data reveal about unmarked and unclaimed lines encountered during excavation. Staff said existing ticket processes capture exposed-but-not-damaged lines in the system but do not provide a consistent feedback loop to record whether such an exposure was later identified and claimed by an operator.
Steve Cleaver, PG&E’s damage-prevention representative, described the operator process when an excavator reports an exposed facility: operators typically dispatch a locator, review maps and as‑builts, and may determine over time whether a facility belonged to them or was legacy infrastructure. He told the board operators sometimes discover assets not present in modern GIS and as‑built records.
Dig Alert’s representative noted the center’s concern about a potential excavator-supplied polygon or EPR code for “unclaimed” lines. If excavators could add an unclaimed-line flag, the notification centers would need system changes to accept and distribute that information, and operators could potentially misuse such a code to avoid marking.
Contractors and associations told the board they support efforts to improve communication. Todd Blumstein of the Southern California Contractors Association said stakeholders would welcome a two-way EPR process that creates a clear feedback loop about whether an anonymous exposed line was later claimed or remains unclaimed.
What the board will do: Staff recommended continuing to explore possible ticketing and process solutions to improve information capture for unmarked/unclaimed lines, including the potential for an EPR workflow that records claims and non-claims and routes follow-up investigations.
Ending: Staff asked the board for direction; members generally supported continuing technical and policy work with RNCs and operators to test options for more informative ticketing and better field resolution of unmarked lines.
