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Contractors and excavators urge stronger 811 compliance and GIS mapping to reduce excavation damage
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Summary
Contractors and industry groups told the subcommittee that incomplete locates, exemptions from 811 one-call systems, and reliance on static maps contribute to utility-damage risk; they urged state practices, GIS mapping adoption and fewer exemptions to reduce strikes of underground facilities.
At the hearing, construction and excavation stakeholders emphasized that accurate locating and timely marking of underground facilities are essential to pipeline safety and to preventing excavation-related damage.
Emmanuel Perez, vice president of Alex E. Perez Contracting Company and representing distribution and utility contractors, told the subcommittee that excavators face roughly "a 50/50 odds of being able to legally start work on time" because locate requests are not always answered promptly. He said records of underground utilities can be outdated, inaccurate or incomplete and called for better state damage-prevention programs, expanded marking requirements and wider use of GIS mapping.
Mr. Perez and others urged reducing exemptions from one-call (811) systems, citing examples where municipal utilities or agricultural facilities in some states need not participate in 811 or to mark laterals. Perez said such exemptions undermine damage prevention and that mapping improvements—specifically GIS—would allow more precise location data for excavators and other stakeholders.
Members and witnesses discussed a Minnesota pilot that uses distributed data access tied to specific 811 tickets, limiting exposure of sensitive mapping data while allowing contractors to view required locates for the life of a ticket. Industry witnesses said that approach can help address cybersecurity and data-protection concerns while unlocking the safety benefits of richer geospatial maps.
The subcommittee did not enact legislation at the hearing. Members discussed including stronger damage-prevention expectations in reauthorization language and encouraging states to adopt best practices for marking, training and use of modern mapping technologies.
Ending: Contractors said clearer marking rules, fewer exemptions and wider GIS adoption would reduce excavation damage, improve safety, and avoid costly delays to infrastructure projects.
