SB64: Bill Text

LRB-1795/2

JJL:skg:jlb

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Senate BILL 64

February 14, 1995 - Introduced by Senators Cowles, Panzer, Burke and Schultz, cosponsored by Representatives Duff, Baumgart, Porter, Schneiders, Goetsch, Ainsworth, Silbaugh, Reynolds, Notestein and Ryba. Referred to Committee on Environment and Energy.

SB64,1,10 An Act to repeal 182.0175 (1) (a) and 182.0175 (2) (c) and (d); to renumber and amend 182.0175 (2) (a) 3., 182.0175 (2) (a) 4., 182.0175 (2) (a) 5., 182.0175 (2) (a) 6., 182.0175 (2) (a) 7., 182.0175 (2) (b), 182.0175 (2) (e), 182.0175 (2) (f) and 182.0175 (3); to amend 182.0175 (1) (intro.), 182.0175 (1) (b), 182.0175 (1) (c), 182.0175 (2) (a) (intro.), 182.0175 (2) (a) 1., 182.0175 (2) (a) 2., 182.0175 (4) and 182.0175 (5); to repeal and recreate 182.0175 (2) (title); and to create 182.0175 (1) (am), 182.0175 (1) (bm), 182.0175 (1m), 182.0175 (2) (am) (intro.), 182.0175 (2) (am) 4., 182.0175 (2) (am) 6m., 182.0175 (2) (bm), 182.0175 (2m) (title) and (a) and 182.0175 (3) (b) of the statutes; relating to: damage to transmission facilities and providing penalties.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill revises the procedures relating notices involving excavation near transmission facilities and damage to transmission facilities. "Transmission facilities" include pipes, cables, wires and other physical facilities used by utilities or private parties to transport gas, electricity, water, sewage or other materials. The bill expands the definition of transmission facilities to explicitly include government-owned facilities and telecommunications and data transmission facilities.

Under the bill, transmission facilities owners are required to establish a statewide, toll-free one-call system (a "digger's hotline") to receive and transmit excavation notices to transmission facilities owners. With limited exceptions, transmission facilities owners are required to participate in funding the one-call system.

The bill requires excavation planners and excavators to notify the one-call system before engaging in nonemergency excavation. The bill identifies the information needed to be included in an excavation notice. An excavator is required to repeat a notice to the one-call system if excavation is delayed or interrupted by 10 days.

Upon receipt of an excavation notice, a transmission facilities owner is required to mark the excavation area to identify the facilities. The bill revises the color-code used to identify various types of transmission facilities.

Currently, if a transmission facilities owner receives notice of possible damage to facilities, the owner is required to inspect the damage within 24 hours. Under the bill, inspection is required within 6 hours after receipt of the notice.

The bill also requires a transmission facilities owner to mark facilities or provide other appropriate responses to an excavation notice within certain time limits after receiving an excavation notice.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB64, s. 1 Section 1. 182.0175 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,2,3 182.0175 (1) Definitions. (intro.) As used in In this section, unless the context requires otherwise:

SB64, s. 2 Section 2. 182.0175 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.

SB64, s. 3 Section 3. 182.0175 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:

SB64,2,7 182.0175 (1) (am) "Emergency" means an unforeseen condition that requires immediate excavation to avoid property damage, personal injury or loss of life.

SB64, s. 4 Section 4. 182.0175 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,3,2 182.0175 (1) (b) "Excavation" means any operation in which earth, rock or other material in or on the ground is moved, removed or otherwise displaced by means of any tools, equipment or explosives and includes grading, trenching, digging, ditching, drilling, augering, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing, and driving and means any operation by which a structure or mass of material is wrecked, razed, rended, moved or removed.

SB64, s. 5 Section 5. 182.0175 (1) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB64,3,4 182.0175 (1) (bm) "Excavator" means a person who engages in excavation.

SB64, s. 6 Section 6. 182.0175 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,3,11 182.0175 (1) (c) "Transmission facilities" includes all pipes, pipelines, wires, cables, ducts, wirelines and associated facilities, regardless of the nature of their transmittants or of their in-service application. The term includes, but is not restricted to, utility facilities, government-owned facilities, facilities transporting hazardous materials, communications and data facilities, drainage facilities and private water facilities and sewer systems.

SB64, s. 7 Section 7. 182.0175 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB64,3,18 182.0175 (1m) One-call system. (a) Statewide system. Transmission facilities owners shall establish or designate a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors as the operator of a one-call system. The one-call system shall be a statewide communication system in which a single operational center receives excavation notices and transmits notice information to affected-member transmission facilities owners.

SB64,3,21 (b) Membership. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., a transmission facilities owner shall be a member of the one-call system. A member shall participate in the funding of the one-call system.

SB64,3,25 2. A transmission facilities owner is not required to be a member of the one-call system if all of that person's transmission facilities are located on property owned by that person. This subdivision does not apply to a governmental unit that is a transmission facilities owner.

SB64,4,4 (c) Liability. A transmission facilities owner who is required to be a member of the one-call system is liable for all damages to the person's transmission facilities and for any other damages that occur as a result of excavation if that person is not a member of the one-call system.

SB64,4,5 (d) System functions. The one-call system shall do all of the following:

SB64,4,6 1. Publicize the availability and use of the one-call system.

SB64,4,7 2. Provide toll-free communication to the one-call system.

SB64,4,8 3. Accept notices of intended excavation activity.

SB64,4,10 4. Inform the person providing notice of the names of transmission facilities owners who will receive the notice information.

SB64,4,12 5. Promptly transmit notice information to affected-member transmission facilities owners.

SB64,4,13 6. Retain records of notices for a period of not less than 6 years.

SB64, s. 8 Section 8. 182.0175 (2) (title) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

SB64,4,15 182.0175 (2) (title) Excavator and planner responsibilities.

SB64, s. 9 Section 9. 182.0175 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,4,20 182.0175 (2) (a) (title) Planning. (intro.) Every person who engages in or with respect to subds. 1. and 2. is responsible for the preparation of plans and specifications for nonemergency excavation or demolition and every excavator shall do all of the following:

SB64, s. 10 Section 10. 182.0175 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,4,24 182.0175 (2) (a) 1. Take reasonable action to learn the location of any transmission facilities in and near the area where such operation the excavation is to be conducted.

SB64, s. 11 Section 11. 182.0175 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB64,5,3 182.0175 (2) (a) 2. Plan the excavation or demolition to avoid to the extent possible interference with transmission facilities in and near the construction excavation area.

SB64, s. 12 Section 12. 182.0175 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is renumbered 182.0175 (2) (am) 1. and amended to read:

SB64,5,10 182.0175 (2) (am) 1. Provide reasonable advance notice not less than 3 working days prior to before the start of the nonemergency excavation or demolition of the intent to excavate or demolish and the commencement date to the owners of the transmission facilities in and near the construction area whose facilities may be affected by the excavation or demolition one-call system.