Source: https://douglasbrookslaw.com/watch.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 12:35:52+00:00

Document:
It is scarcely possible to read a newspaper for any one week period these days without seeing an article about an excavator who has either struck an underground gas or water main, or severed an underground telephone line, or both. The proliferation of construction, particularly in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, has led to a significant increase in the number of these incidents.
In light of the many damage incidents, most lawyers would probably be surprised to learn that there is a specific statute in the Georgia Code which not only penalizes the behavior of these rogue excavators, but makes them strictly liable for damages resulting from their actions. The Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act ("GUFPA"), O.C.G.A. §§ 25-9-1, et. seq. places strict requirements on persons engaged in excavation or blasting, and is designed to be the teeth behind the phrase "call before you dig." In spite of this useful tool against excavators, it appears that utility companies have not often sought redress in the courts for the many incidents of damage we read about. There are no reported cases citing any of the many provision of the GUFPA. One is left to wonder why enterprising lawyers have not leapt upon this provision of state law.
GUFPA places numerous duties upon excavators and those engaged in blasting activities. Failure to follow these duties results in strict liability for some damages.
(4) carried out in accordance with all other requirements of GUFPA.
Any time an excavator or blaster strikes, damages, injures, or loosens any underground utility facility, that person must immediately cease all such activities and notify the UPC regardless whether the lines have been marked or not.23 The blaster or excavator must also contact the Utility.24 The Utility, upon the receipt of any notice of a strike or other damage, is required to send personnel to the location as soon as possible to repair the damage. All work on the excavation must cease until the repairs have been completed. There is an exception to the "cease work" provision of O.C.G.A. § 25-9-8(c) relating to the performance of "emergency excavations" or "excavations in extraordinary circumstances."25 This provision appears to relate to excavations in the interest of saving human life. Persons engaging in emergency excavation must minimize damage to any Utility, and shall give notice of the emergency excavation as soon as practical to the UPC.
The list of duties placed upon excavators by GUFPA also creates a "safe harbor" for them so long as they comply, and so long as there is not "visible and obvious evidence" of the presence of a mismarked utility.26 If an excavator follows all of the notice requirements of the GUFPA, and the Utility fails to mark the facilities properly, the excavator may have a cause of action against the Utility for violation of the Utility's duties as outlined herein.27 However, GUFPA is chiefly designed to prevent inaction by excavators, an intent proven by the penalty provisions, which place the heavier enumerated penalties upon excavators, and GUFPA does not use the words "strict liability" to describe damages available against Utilities in favor of excavators.
GUFPA also places requirements upon the Utilities, and balances duties between them and excavators to expedite beginning and completing construction projects.
In designating the location of the facilities, the Utility is required to stake or mark them in accordance with color coding set forth by the American Public Works Association ("APWA").30 This explains the different colored marking frequently seen on construction sites.
Should the Utility fail to comply with either of these requirements by noon of the business day of receipt of the second notice, then the blaster or excavator originally giving notice of intent to dig may proceed to do so as long as there is no visible or obvious evidence of the presence of unmarked facilities on the property.36 In the absence of such evidence, the blaster or excavator is not subject to liability for any damage to facilities which the Utility fails to mark, so long as the blaster or excavator otherwise complies with the duties placed upon him under GUFPA.
In fact, the Utility may be liable to the excavator as a result of losses from the providing of inaccurate information. If the excavator can provide "documented evidence" that it has incurred losses or expenses due to the inaccurate information, lack of information, or unreasonable delays in supplying information, the Utility shall be liable for those losses and expenses.43 This damage provision also appears to be quite broad, but lacks the strict liability language of the provision placing liability on the excavators.44 As with the provision governing damages available to Utilities described below, this provision places no burden on the excavator to mitigate his damages in any way.
The violating excavator also must indemnify the Utility from any injuries or damages to persons or property resulting from the damage to the underground facility.47 Again, the language in this provision is quite broad, and provides neither a limitation on the damages nor a requirement that the Utility mitigate its damages in any way.
GUFPA provides a powerful, and as yet largely unused, tool for the protection of underground utility facilities from damage by excavators. In light of the proliferation of the strikes to gas lines and telephone lines underground, it remains to be seen whether the utilities will pursue damages from the violating excavators. Many of them have insurance coverage which will defend against such claims, and that may only increase the costs of recovering those claims. If litigation does occur based on some of the larger incidents of damage which occurred during the year 2000, perhaps the Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court will have occasion to interpret this statute and the penalties it provides.
O.C.G.A. § 25-9-1 (comments); HB1290 signed April 27, 2000, effective July 1, 2000.
GUFPA defines "Utility Facility" as "an underground or submerged conductor, pipe, or structure used in providing electric or communication service, or an underground or submerged pipe used in carrying, providing, or gathering gas, oil, or oil product, sewage, waste water, storm drainage, water, or other liquids, and appurtenances thereto." O.C.G.A. § 25-9-3(22). A facility owner is anyone "who owns, operates, or controls the operation of a utility facility as defined in this Code Section for the purpose of commercial enterprise," O.C.G.A. § 25-9-3(14), and this article will refer to them as "Utilities."
O.C.G.A. § 25-9-6(A). The 48- hour period appears actually to be 60 hours or longer because it is "beginning the next business day after such notice is provided, excluded hours during days other than business days." Id.
See O.C.G.A. § 25-9-3(16). This definition of "Excavating Equipment" probably excludes household tools.
Compare O.C.G.A. §25-9-9(b) placing liability on Utilities in some instances, with O.C.G.A. §25-9-13(a)(1 and 2), making excavators strictly liable for damages when no Locate Request given.
O.C.G.A. § 25-9-13(A) requiring the excavator to comply with O.C.G.A. § 25-9-6, or risk strict liability.

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