Page 7 - Arkansas 811 Magazine 2021 Issue 1

Author: What is driving the conversation?
Coggins: This is a regional conversation with a wide range of stakeholders. We believe that damage prevention can
be much more effective by focusing on all utilities and stakeholders with a foundation built on education and outreach.
Author: What is Arkansas 811 trying to accomplish?
Gowen: The group of stakeholders that are talking to us want a fair, efficient and more effective enforcement or accountability process. Training is always the first option, so we’d focus on educating and training stakeholders that exhibit behaviors that need to be changed.
Author: How do you make it fairer than what you already have?
Coggins: We’ve gone through five (5) drafts trying to answer that question. But I think we are united on this point. The law must be equitable for everybody not focusing on one industry and that it protects all utilities, operators, and excavators (large or small, rural or urban).
The discussion then must focus on three key areas; how do we leverage existing successes, improve the fairness of enforcement, and prioritize partnerships and relationships to create a strong and robust damage prevention program?
Gowan: I think this would provide a level playing field for all stakeholders, sometimes the excavator or even the small operator feel their voice is not heard. This would provide them a path to that level playing field.
Bryant: Let me add that it would be a complaint driven system, not a mandatory reporting mechanism. The fact
Don’t make a dig mistake
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