2023 Wyoming Statutes › Title 37 - Public Utilities › Chapter 12 - Crimes, Offenses and Civil Liabilities › Article 3 - Damage to Underground Public Utility Facilities › Section 37-12-302 - Notices; Exceptions; Penalty.

37-12-302. Notices; exceptions; penalty.
(a) Every operator shall file with the notification center a general description of the area served together with the name, address and telephone number of the person from whom necessary information may be obtained concerning the location of underground facilities.
(b) Any person preparing or designing architectural or engineering design drawings that call for excavation shall comply with W.S. 37-12-307.
(c) Except as hereafter provided, no excavator shall make or begin excavation without first notifying the notification center of the proposed excavation. Notice shall be given by telephone, e-mail, fax or other electronic medium approved by the notification center at least two (2) full business days, but not more than fourteen (14) business days prior to any excavation to the notification center pursuant to W.S. 37-12-304. If an excavation on a single project lasts more than fourteen (14) business days, the excavator shall give notice at least once each succeeding fourteen (14) business day period. Notice to the notification center is notice to each member thereof in the area. Notification of the following information to the notification center shall be required and shall include the following:
(i) Name of the person notifying the notification center;
(ii) Name, address and telephone number of the excavator;
(iii) Specific location by legal description or other reliable method that allows for current and accurate means of identifying geographic locations, and starting date and description of the intended activity.
(d) An operator shall at its expense, upon receipt of the notice provided for in subsection (c) of this section, use reasonable care to mark the location of the underground facilities with stakes, flags, paint or by other clearly identifiable marking within twenty-four (24) inches horizontally from the exterior sides of the operator's underground facilities. The location shall be marked using American Public Works Association uniform color standards. If requested by the excavator, the operator receiving the notice shall advise the excavator of the nature, location, size, function and depth if known, of underground facilities in the proposed excavation area. The operator shall respond no later than two (2) full business days after receipt of the notice from the notification center or at a time otherwise mutually agreed to by the operator and excavator.
(e) Emergency excavations are exempt from the time constraints of the provisions of subsections (c) and (d) of this section. If an emergency excavation is undertaken to suppress wildfires, the excavator shall notify the notification center as soon as practical. The excavator and operator shall not be required to mark the area being excavated for wildfire suppression.
(f) If information required pursuant to subsection (d) of this section is not provided within the time specified therein, or if the information provided fails to identify the location of the underground facilities in accordance with subsection (d) of this section or when engaging in an emergency excavation, then any excavator damaging or injuring underground facilities shall not be liable for such damage or injury except when failing to utilize reasonable care. However, if information required pursuant to subsection (d) of this section is provided within the time specified therein, and if the information provided sufficiently identifies the location of the underground facilities in accordance with subsection (d) of this section, then any excavator damaging or injuring underground facilities shall be liable for all damage or injury to persons or property.
(g) Compliance with this section does not excuse an excavator from exercising reasonable care in complying with this act nor does compliance with this section excuse an excavator from liability for damage or injury for failure to so act. When excavating, reasonable care shall require hand digging or soft digging, as necessary, to protect the underground facility.
(h) When any contact with or damage to any underground facility occurs, the excavator shall first immediately call a 911 emergency reporting system as defined by W.S. 16-9-102(a)(iv) and request emergency services if the contacted or damaged underground facility releases gas or a hazardous liquid. In all cases the excavator shall immediately notify the operator of the facility and the notification center, of the location of and extent of damage to the underground facility and shall cooperate with the operator of the damaged underground facility to mitigate the damages incurred to the extent reasonably possible, including the provision of in-kind work where technical or special skills are not required according to the nature of the underground facility. An excavator shall not conceal or attempt to conceal any dislocation, disturbance or damage to an underground facility and shall not repair or attempt to repair the underground facility unless authorized by the operator of the underground facility. Upon notification of damage to an underground facility from an excavator, the operator of the underground facility shall respond to the notification in a manner reasonably appropriate to the circumstances. The operator shall file a report with the notification center describing the response within seventy-two (72) hours of the initial notification. This requirement of notification shall not relieve the excavator and the operator from compliance with any other state or federal notification obligation. In any dispute concerning the liability for damages to any underground facility, the excavator shall bear the burden of proof concerning its use of reasonable care in conducting the excavation.
(j) Repealed By Laws 2010, Ch. 62, 3.
(k) Repealed By Laws 2010, Ch. 62, 3.
(m) Unless an exception in this subsection is applicable, an excavator shall mark the location of the area or path of excavation before the arrival of an operator or agent of an operator to locate their underground facility. The obligations of an operator specified by W.S. 37-12-302(d) shall not apply until an excavator has complied with the requirements of this subsection. Markings may include stakes, flags, marking whiskers, white paint, signage, electronic white lining on digital mapping or any other identifiable marking that clearly marks the location of the area or path of excavation, provided that any marking used cannot be confused with the accepted American National Standards Institute Standard Z535.1 safety color code. An excavator need not premark the location as required by this section if any of the following apply:
(i) There is only one (1) operator with underground facilities in the proposed excavation area and the operator or the operator's agent can determine the location of the area or path of excavation by street address, lot number, global positioning system, latitude and longitude coordinates, mapping or other method agreed to by the excavator and operator;
(ii) The excavator and operator had a meeting at the proposed excavation area before beginning the proposed excavation and exchanged the information on the location of the area or path of excavation as specified in paragraph (i) of this subsection;
(iii) The proposed excavation is of an emergency nature;
(iv) A different method of locating or defining the area or path of excavation has been agreed to by the excavator and all operators within the proposed excavation area.
(n) An operator of an underground facility that the operator determines to be within an area of risk may provide to the county in which the underground facility is located written notice that includes a description of the underground facility and the specific location of the underground facility by map, legal description or other reliable method that allows for a current and accurate means of identifying the geographic location of the underground facility. Any notice under this subsection shall be provided:
(i) Except as specified in paragraph (ii) of this subsection, not later than June 1, 2020 and then January 31 of each year thereafter;
(ii) For an operator of a newly installed underground facility, within sixty (60) days of installation of the underground facility.