Page 9 - Arkansas 811 Magazine 2020 Issue 4

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7. Does the State appropriately understand, and address, exemptions and/or exclusions from the one-call law.
He noted that while the Arkansas damage ratio was trending in the right direction, at the end of 2019, the state’s damage ratio was at 6.2 damages per thousand compared to the national average of 2.6.
Other related sessions about enforcement were designed to look at a mechanism for enforcing the dig law for all utilities as opposed to just regulated pipelines and gas distribution. Surrounding states such as Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama have recently passed legislation that moved from a pipeline only enforcement to enforcing the dig law without regard to utility type. They’ve moved to an enforcement board working in conjunction with the Public Service Commission within their respective state to provide such enforcement. In those states, stakeholders are held accountable for violations to the dig law as opposed to damages to a utility.
There was clear interest in learning more about enforcement boards and the value of creating an active Regional Common Ground Alliance (RCGA) in the state.
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2020, Issue 4
Arkansas 811 Magazine • 7