IV 
House Calendar No. 191 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1278 
[Report No. 111–473, Part I] 
In support and recognition of National Safe Digging Month, April, 2010. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2010 
Mr. SHUSTER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
MAY 4, 2010 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with 
amendments 
[Strike out the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
MAY 4, 2010 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; referred to the House 
Calendar and ordered to be printed 
RESOLUTION 
In support and recognition of National Safe Digging Month, 
April, 2010. 
Whereas each year there are over 200,000 incidences of unin-
tentional damage to underground utility infrastructure 
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(including pipelines, electrical, telecommunications, water, 
and sewer lines), many as a result of an individual who 
fails to have underground utilities lines located before 
digging; 
Whereas there are 2,500,000 miles of pipelines, of which 
2,200,000 are for distribution of natural gas, 320,500 for 
transmission of natural gas, and 168,900 for hazardous 
materials including oil; 
Whereas some utility lines are buried only a few inches un-
derground, making them easy to strike even during shal-
low digging projects; 
Whereas failure to locate underground utility lines before 
digging may have unintended consequences such as serv-
ice interruption, environmental damage, property dam-
age, personal injury, and even death; 
Whereas State one-call notification programs allow home-
owners and excavators to have underground utilities lo-
cated and marked before conducting digging or exca-
vation activities; 
Whereas Congress first established minimum standards for 
State one-call notification programs and authorized ap-
propriations for Federal grants to improve State one-call 
notification programs in the Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century in 1998; 
Whereas Congress required a 3-digit, nationwide toll-free 
number be established to be used by State one-call sys-
tems in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002; 
Whereas in 2005, ‘‘811’’ was designated as the nationwide 
one-call number for homeowners and excavators to call 
before conducting digging or excavation activities; 
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Whereas the one-call system has helped reduce the number 
of digging damages caused by failure to locate under-
ground utilities prior to digging from 57 percent in 2004 
to 37.5 percent in 2009; 
Whereas the 1,400 members of the Common Ground Alli-
ance, who are dedicated to ensuring public safety, envi-
ronmental protection, and the integrity of services by pro-
moting effective damage prevention practices, promote 
the national ‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ campaign to increase 
public awareness about the importance of calling 811 to 
identify the exact location of underground utility lines; 
Whereas the Common Ground Alliance has designated April 
as National Safe Digging month in order to increase 
awareness of safe digging practices across the country 
and to celebrate the anniversary of the designation of 
811 as the national ‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ number; and 
Whereas April is the beginning of the peak of excavation 
projects around the Nation: Now, therefore, be it 
Whereas each year there are over 200,000 incidences of unin-
tentional damage to underground utility infrastructure 
(including pipelines, electrical, telecommunications, water, 
and sewer lines), many as a result of an individual who 
fails to have underground utilities lines located before 
digging; 
Whereas there are 2,534,000 miles of pipelines, of which 
2,036,800 are for distribution of natural gas, 323,600 for 
transmission of natural gas, and 173,500 for hazardous 
materials including oil; 
Whereas some utility lines are buried only a few inches under-
ground, making them easy to strike even during shallow 
digging projects; 
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•HRES 1278 RH 
Whereas failure to locate underground utility lines before 
digging may have unintended consequences such as service 
interruption, environmental damage, property damage, 
personal injury, and even death; 
Whereas State one-call notification programs allow home-
owners and excavators to have underground utilities lo-
cated and marked before conducting digging or excavation 
activities; 
Whereas Congress first established minimum standards for 
State one-call notification programs and authorized ap-
propriations for Federal grants to improve State one-call 
notification programs in the Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century in 1998; 
Whereas Congress required a 3-digit, nationwide toll-free num-
ber be established to be used by State one-call systems in 
the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002; 
Whereas in 2005, ‘‘811’’ was designated as the nationwide one- 
call number for homeowners and excavators to call before 
conducting digging or excavation activities; 
Whereas in the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, 
and Safety Act of 2006 Congress authorized the Secretary 
of Transportation to issue civil penalties to any owner or 
operator of a pipeline facility who fails to respond to a re-
quest to mark an underground pipeline facility, any indi-
vidual who fails to use a State’s one-call system prior to 
digging or excavation activities, or any individual who 
disregards location information or markings while digging 
or excavating; 
Whereas the one-call system has helped reduce the number of 
digging damages caused by failure to locate underground 
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•HRES 1278 RH 
utilities prior to digging from 57 percent in 2004 to 37.5 
percent in 2009; 
Whereas the 1,400 members of the Common Ground Alliance, 
who are dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental 
protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effec-
tive damage prevention practices, promote the national 
‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ campaign to increase public aware-
ness about the importance of calling 811 to identify the 
exact location of underground utility lines; 
Whereas the Common Ground Alliance has designated April as 
National Safe Digging month in order to increase aware-
ness of safe digging practices across the country and to cel-
ebrate the anniversary of the designation of 811 as the na-
tional ‘‘Call Before You Dig’’ number; and 
Whereas April is the beginning of the peak of excavation 
projects around the Nation: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 
the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month, and 
encourages homeowners and all excavators throughout the 
country to call 811 before conducting any digging or exca-
vation activities. That the House of Representatives sup-
ports the goals and ideals of National Safe Digging Month, 
and encourages all homeowners and excavators throughout 
the country to call 811 before conducting any digging or 
excavation activities. 
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House Calendar No. 191 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1278 
[Report No. 111–473, Part I] 
RESOLUTION 
In support and recognition of National Safe 
Digging Month, April, 2010. 
MAY 4, 2010 
Reported from the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure with amendments 
MAY 4, 2010 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; 
referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 
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