III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 583 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 6, 2022 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. WICKER, and Ms. CANTWELL) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging 

Month. 

Whereas, each year, the underground utility infrastructure of 

the United States, including pipelines, electric, gas, telecommunications, water, sewer, and cable television lines, 

is jeopardized by unintentional damage caused by those 

who fail to have underground utility lines located prior to 

digging; 

Whereas some utility lines are buried only a few inches underground, making the lines easy to strike, even during 

shallow digging projects; 

Whereas digging prior to having underground utility lines located often results in unintended consequences, such as 

service interruption, environmental damage, personal injury, and even death; 


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•SRES 583 ATS 

Whereas the month of April marks the beginning of the peak 

period during which excavation projects are carried out 

around the United States; 

Whereas, in 2002, Congress required the Department of 

Transportation and the Federal Communications Commission to establish a 3-digit, nationwide, toll-free number to be used by State ‘‘One Call’’ systems to provide 

information on underground utility lines; 

Whereas, in 2005, the Federal Communications Commission 

designated ‘‘811’’ as the nationwide ‘‘One Call’’ number 

for homeowners and excavators to use to obtain information on underground utility lines before conducting excavation activities; 

Whereas the 1,800 members of the Common Ground Alliance, States, ‘‘One Call’’ centers, and other stakeholders 

who are dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services, promote 

the national ‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ campaign to increase 

public awareness about the importance of homeowners 

and excavators calling 811 to find out the location of underground utility lines before digging; 

Whereas the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job 

Creation Act of 2011 (Public Law 112–90; 125 Stat. 

1904) affirmed and expanded the ‘‘One Call’’ program by 

eliminating exemptions given to local and State government agencies and their contractors regarding notifying 

‘‘One Call’’ centers before digging; 

Whereas, according to the Common Ground Alliance’s 2020 

Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report 

published in October 2021, there were an estimated 

468,000 instances of excavation-related damage to underVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR583.ATS SR583

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•SRES 583 ATS 

ground facilities in the United States during 2020, and 

failing to contact 811 in advance of a digging project 

caused over 30 percent of these damages; 

Whereas, in 2021, the Common Ground Alliance conducted a 

survey of active diggers who have completed a project 

within the past 12 months and found that 74 percent of 

the more than 1,800 respondents were aware of 811; 

Whereas the Common Ground Alliance estimated that the societal costs of excavation-related damage to buried utilities were $30,000,000,000 in 2019, including costs for 

facility repair, property damage, medical bills, and costs 

to the surrounding businesses affected by the resulting 

utility outages; and 

Whereas the Common Ground Alliance has designated April 

as ‘‘National Safe Digging Month’’ to increase awareness 

of safe digging practices across the United States and to 

celebrate the anniversary of 811, the national ‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ number: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Safe Digging Month; 

4 (2) encourages all homeowners and excavators 

5 throughout the United States to call 811 before 

6 digging; and 

7 (3) encourages all damage prevention stake8 holders to help educate homeowners and excavators 

9 throughout the United States about the importance 

10 of calling 811 before digging. 

Æ 


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