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Committee debates abandoned utilities in rights-of-way, locating standards and hazmat billing after gas-line strike
Summary
The Public Works Committee and Tulsa Fire Department discussed city practice for abandoned or unused utilities in rights-of-way, record drawings and locates, state excavation statutes requiring 'potholing' within a 24-inch tolerance zone, and a hazmat response billing dispute after a contractor struck an Oklahoma Natural Gas line.
City staff, legal advisors and the Tulsa Fire Department spent more than an hour discussing how the city handles abandoned utility facilities left in rights-of-way, how locates and record drawings are maintained, and who bears liability when excavators strike active lines.
Public Works staff said franchise agreements generally require above‑grade facilities to be removed, while underground (below‑grade) facilities often remain in place. Staff explained that utility record drawings are not available for every project and that field locators and the OKIE 811 system are the practical tools used to identify subsurface facilities. "We have a margin of error," Public Works staff said, describing the difficulty of pinpointing exact subsurface locations using atlas maps and locates.
City legal staff summarized the Oklahoma statute establishing a tolerance zone that extends 24 inches on either side…
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