Page 18 - Alabama 811 Magazine 2022 Issue 2

811 Emergency Report
T$61 Billion Lost to Waste, Inefficiency in System to Protect Underground Utilities
he 811 Emergency Report Association (APCA); Distribution (CGA) Conference in Anaheim and
has created much discussion Contractors Association (DCA); attended an excellent panel presentation across the country. In this National Utility Contractors Association facilitated by Mark Bridgers,
issue, 811 Magazines shares the (NUCA); Nulca – representing utility Continuum Capital. Mr. Bridgers noted
national 811 Emergency Report and in locating professionals; and Power that Arizona was incorrectly identified
the next issue, attention will be given to the report as it relates to Alabama.
The report was commissioned by a group identified as the Infrastructure Protection Coalition (IPC). The IPC is a coalition of industry groups
who represent regular users and stakeholders in the 811 system and who want to see it run safely and efficiently. Members include: the American Pipeline Contractors
& Communications Contractors Association (PCCA).
This study was conducted by Continuum Capital. To learn more about Continuum, go to www. continuumcapital.net. To learn more about IPC and to access the full report go to www.ipcweb.org. ©2021 Infrastructure Protection Coalition.
Publisher’s note: Recently, I attended the Common Ground Alliance
in the initial report as a 3rd Quartile state, when they should have been listed as a 2nd Quartile performer. And he noted that the error would be corrected in an update to the report near the end of April or May.
Additionally, there were concerns from some of the 811 Center attendees that the report reflected poorly on the Center itself. John Fluharty, representing excavators on the CGA Board and serving on the panel stated that as an
811 Failure: $61 Billion Lost to Waste, Inefficiency in System to Protect Underground Utilities
Failures in the nation’s 811 system used to prevent damage to underground utility lines are costing $61 billion a year in waste and excess costs and creating unnecessary hazards for public safety, particularly in states where the implementation and accountability are most lax.
State Quartile Ranking of 811 System Performance
This comprehensive, independent review of the nation’s 811 system – including an in-depth examination of its operations in every state, Washington, D.C., and the city of Chicago – shows that these costs and the increased risk to public safety could be substantially reduced if states with the worst records adopted more effective practices and procedures already in use in other parts of the country. Stakeholders, including utility and other asset owner/operators, locators, 811 system operators, and excavators, have strong opinions on which states are high performers in regard to their dig law, regulation, and 811 center operation and practice.
16 • Alabama 811 2022, Issue 2