Source: http://www.okie811.org/thelaw/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 20:47:59+00:00

Document:
All operators of underground facilities, including all state agencies and municipalities, shall participate in the statewide one-call notification center.
§63-142.3. Filing of notice - Participation by municipality in statewide one-call notification center.
§63-142.5. Certain excavations, demolitions and explosions prohibited near certain facilities.
§63-142.6. Notice of proposed demolition, explosion or excavation - Marking or providing location of facilities - Emergencies.
§63-142.7. Use of powered or mechanized equipment - Exemptions.
§63-142.9. Damage to underground facilities.
§63-142.9a. Damage to underground facilities – Liability - Injunction.
§63-142.13. Enforcement authority – Corporation Commission.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act".
Laws 1981, c. 94, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.
15) "Underground facility" means any underground line, cable, facility, system and appurtenances thereto, for producing, storing, conveying, transmitting or distributing communication (including voice, video, or data information), electricity, power, light, heat, intrastate and interstate gas pipelines, as described in 49 CFR Part 192.1, intrastate and interstate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipelines, as described in 49 CFR Part 195.1, water (including storm water), steam, sewage and other commodities, and any oil and gas pipeline located in a public right-of-way.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 1995, c. 344, § 27, eff. Nov. 1, 1995; Laws 2002, c. 412, § 1, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 362, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 427, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 2004. Laws 2017, HB 1376 eff. November 1, 2017. Laws 2018, SB 997 eff. Immediately.
All operators of underground facilities shall participate in the statewide one-call notification center and shall have on file with the notification center a notice that such operator has underground facilities, the county or counties where such facilities are located, and the address and telephone number of the person or persons from whom information about such underground facilities may be obtained. A municipality shall participate in the statewide one-call notification center as provided for in this section.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 25, § 1, emerg. eff. March 30, 1992; Laws 2003, c. 362, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2016, c. 151, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.
As provided for in this section, the notification center shall charge and collect fees from operators filing notices pursuant to Section 142.3 of this title, except for rural water districts which have less than one thousand one hundred meters and municipalities which have a population of less than three thousand (3,000).
Upon the initial filing of a notice or statement and annually thereafter, a fee shall be collected in a manner as provided for in Section 142.10 of this title. The fee shall be due and payable on January 1 of each year. Failure to pay such fee on or before February 1 of such year shall result in the filing being void and the notification center shall remove such operator from the list of operators having underground facilities in the county. Such operator may thereafter file again pursuant to this act, but only upon payment to the notification center of the above-specified initial filing fee and an additional late filing fee of Fifty Dollars ($50.00).
The notification center shall maintain a current list of all operators on file pursuant to this act and shall make copies of such list available upon payment of the appropriate fees.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 362, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
No excavator shall demolish a structure, discharge an explosive or commence to excavate in a highway, street, alley or other public ground or way, a private easement, or on or near the location of the facilities of an operator without first complying with the requirements of the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act and the Oklahoma Explosives and Blasting Regulation Act.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 1995, c. 344, § 28, eff. Nov. 1, 1995.
Before an excavator shall demolish a structure, discharge any explosive or commence to excavate in a highway, street, alley or other public ground or way, on or near the location of an operator's underground facilities, or a private easement, such excavator shall first notify all operators in the geographic area defined by the notification center who have on file with the notification center a notice pursuant to Section 142.3 of this title to determine whether any operators have underground facilities in or near the proposed area of excavation or demolition. When an excavator has knowledge that an operator does not have underground facilities within the area of the proposed excavation, the excavator need not notify the operator of the proposed excavation. However, an excavator shall be responsible for damage to the underground facilities of an operator if the notification center was not notified. Notice shall be given no more than ten (10) days nor less than forty-eight (48) hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, prior to the commencement of the excavation or demolition.
Each operator served with notice in accordance with subsection A above either directly or by notice to the notification center shall, within forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of verification from the notification center that the notice has been accepted and acknowledged, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, unless otherwise agreed to between the excavator and operator, locate and mark or otherwise provide the approximate location of the underground facilities of the operator in a manner as to enable the excavator to employ hand-dug test holes to determine the precise location of the underground facilities in advance of excavation. For the purpose of this act, the approximate location of the underground facilities shall be defined as a strip of land two (2) feet on either side of such underground facilities. Whenever an operator is served with notice of an excavation or demolition and determines that the operator does not have underground facilities located within the proposed area of excavation or demolition, the operator shall communicate this information to the excavator originating the notice prior to the commencement of such excavation or demolition.
The only exception to subsection A of this section shall be when an emergency exists that endangers life, health or property. Under these conditions, excavation operations may begin immediately, providing reasonable precautions are taken to protect underground facilities. All operators of underground facilities within the area of the emergency must be notified promptly when an emergency requires excavation prior to the location of the underground facilities being marked.
The date and time when work is to begin.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 362, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2016, c. 151, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.
Except as provided in subsection B of this section, powered or mechanized equipment shall not be used directly over marked routes of underground facilities until the precise location of the underground facilities has been determined by the excavator, and then only after the facilities have been exposed and properly protected to avoid damage to them. If the precise location of the underground facilities cannot be determined by the excavator, the operator thereof shall be notified by the excavator so that the operator can determine the precise location of the underground facilities prior to continuing excavation or demolition.
The only exception to the prohibition of the use of powered or mechanized equipment directly over marked routes of underground facilities shall be for the removal of pavement or masonry, and then only to the depth of such pavement or masonry.
Laws 1981, c. 94, § 7, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.
In addition to the notice required by Section 142.6 of this title, whenever the demolition of a structure is proposed, operators in the geographic area defined by the notification center who have a notice on file with the notification center pursuant to Section 142.3 of this title shall be given at least seven (7) business days' notice of the proposed demolition before the demolition work begins. Such notice shall be initiated by the notification center after the excavator has met local code requirements for a demolition permit. When an operator is served with notice and determines that underground facilities are within the proposed area of demolition and such facilities require additional protection, service removal or termination, the operator shall communicate this information to the excavator and by mutual agreement the operator and excavator shall determine a date to begin the demolition which shall not exceed sixty (60) business days from the original demolition notice. If a public agency determines that the structure endangers the public health or safety, then the public agency may, in the manner provided by law, order the immediate demolition of the structure.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 8, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 362, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 427, § 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 2004.
When any damage occurs to an underground facility or its protective covering, the operator thereof shall be notified immediately by any person who caused the damage.
Upon receiving notice of such damage, the operator shall promptly dispatch personnel to the location to effect temporary or permanent repairs.
Should damage occur that endangers life, health or property, any person responsible for the work shall keep all sources of ignition away from the damaged area and shall take immediate action to protect the public and property and to minimize the hazard until arrival of the operator's personnel or until the appropriate police or fire officials shall have arrived and taken charge of the damaged area.
An excavator shall delay any backfilling in the immediate area of the damaged underground facilities until the damage has been repaired, unless the operator authorizes otherwise. The repair of such damage must be performed by the operator or by qualified personnel authorized by the operator.
Any excavator, except for a public agency who fails to comply with the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act and who damages an underground facility owned or operated by a nonprofit rural water corporation organized pursuant to Section 863 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes or a rural water district organized pursuant to the Rural Water, Sewer, Gas, and Solid Waste Management Districts Act, shall be liable for the underground damage to and responsible for the repair of such facilities. Any new underground facilities installed on and after September 1, 1992, shall contain materials capable of being detected so that the facilities can be accurately located.
Any excavator who damages or cuts an underground facility, as a result of negligently failing to comply with the provisions of the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act or as a result of failing to take measures for the protection of an underground facility shall be liable to the operator of the underground facility for the repair of the damaged underground facility.
Except for public agencies, any excavator who by willful act or by reckless disregard of the rights of others, repeatedly violates the provisions of the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act and repeatedly damages underground facilities, thereby threatening the public health, safety, and welfare, may be enjoined by a court of competent jurisdiction from further excavation.
Added by Laws 1992, c. 369, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1992. Amended by Laws 2002, c. 412, § 2, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 362, § 6, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
This act recognizes the value of and authorizes the establishment of a statewide notification center.
Upon establishment, the notification center shall operate twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Notification, as required by Section 142.6 of this title, to operators who are members of or participants in the notification center, shall be given by notifying the notification center by telephone or other acceptable means of communication, the content of such notification to conform to Section 142.6 of this title.
All operators who have underground facilities within the defined geographical boundary of the notification center shall be afforded the opportunity to become a member of the notification center on the same terms as the original members. Others may participate as nonmembers on terms and conditions as the members deem appropriate.
A suitable record shall be maintained by the notification center to document the receipt of the notices from excavators as required by this act.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 10, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 362, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
Notwithstanding anything which may be contained in this act to the contrary, public agencies and their contractors engaged in work within the public right-of-way which work is a preengineered project, certified project or routine maintenance shall be exempt from the provisions of this act. Provided, a public agency contractor, prior to engaging in routine maintenance, shall take reasonable steps to determine the location of underground facilities in or near the proposed area of work. Reasonable steps may include utilization of the statewide one-call notification center procedures as provided for in Section 142.6 of this title.
Added by Laws 1981, c. 94, § 11, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 114, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1986; Laws 2003, c. 362, § 8, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.
§63-142.12. Repealed by Laws 2016, c. 151, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.
The Corporation Commission is hereby designated as the agency to enforce the provisions of the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act, Section 142.1 et seq. of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, over excavation or demolition on or near or directly over the location of, and notice of damage to, oil and natural gas physical facilities which are described by the currently effective definition of "pipeline" in 49 CFR Part 192.3 and "pipeline" and "pipeline system" in 49 CFR Part 195.2. Enforcement authority granted in this section shall be concurrent with and shall not be construed to modify or limit any private right of action, including those available pursuant to Section 142.9a of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Terms used in this section shall be as defined in the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act.
Added by Laws 2014, c. 243, § 1, emerg. eff. May 9, 2014.

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