Page 21 - Texas811 Magazine 2017 Issue 2

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‘?%eV‘l5§Fl"a“ic"e‘a'}’e".“ ! I I
Jackson, M5
'vs heen lll huslness for ever 40 years ground so he ean pu« up a zellcel Hes for marlrlng «llelr own llnes 7 or«en by
and never hit any unrlerground llnes. "uul ln «he country” 7 nowhere near a uslng a loca«e servlce. (They are «he
why shoulrl I call 2117'’ read nghl-of-way! ”Well, yes 7 l think l« ones wl«h «he 'mngl( wr1nds'— ground
WE", Joe, in mm dung’ you are dld used «o be a pas«ure. so what? plegl/:«r(al:ln‘gnr(}a|dfa:xamolrllgh
llrealung «he law li you don't. ln «he The rlpellnc and Hazardous Ma«erlals ’ ’ 3‘ _ ’
mark «llelr llnes ln your deslgna«ed

pas« slu years, whlle you were busy sarery Admlnls«ra«lon (PHMSA) mggmg PM and mung W“ a mm
NOT dlgglng ln«o underground unll«y ls a unl«ed s«a«es Depar«rnen« of mm 7 whmh mm W—mm ml
llnes way ou« «here in «he coun«ry, a Transpor«anon agency crea«ed ln Wk ‘ht law bf” 05 am Elna’; and
few «hlngs were golng on: Llncs were 2004, responslhle fur devclnplng and mm _ mu ’1e al 3;. hm 1. W don,‘
llelng er«enrled further and iunhnr Cnfolnng regula«lnns «or «he safe, §‘ WM“n1"8“§ch’h of mi‘ éuliidfi of
ou« ln«o «he coun«ry; never lnlnd snlne rcllalale, and envlrrlnlnen«ally sound mfflm hm Wm’ “H

llnes were already ou« «here bziom you opera«lon of «he US’ 2.6 rnllllon mllc ' V 3 ‘

ever s«ar«ed llelng an ercaya«or. No, no« plpellne «ranspnr«a«lon. l« oversees «he ”I’m lnsulerl", you say No, no« «or
eahle or phone lines 7 nanlral gas alld na«lon's plpellne lllrras«rue«ure, whleh «hls, you aren'«, no« if you don't have a
all plpellnes were «here. They adrled accoun«s [or be! pereen« of «he energy ticket Surpnscd77

«he cable, phnne, wa«er and sewer lines eomrnodllles consumerl ln «he unl«ed

la«er. s«a«es. Marle up of «he Offin: of npellne ‘“°“’"“‘° ‘°‘“P““‘°’ ha“ '’‘'3““

denylng clalms for losses for «hose who
Safetv and «he ornce nl Hr1zazduu~ ,
when «he plpellnes were lald, «he — _ don « call befnm «hey dlg 7 and have
. lvla«erlals Safety. . —

deslgn was «o go «hrougll «ha« «he Iltkzl «o pmvc l«. They may have
eounlryslde ln «he lnos« dlmcl way «o PHMSA ls l=ederal anrl ls enrnrelng palrl las« year, llu« no« anymore. Why?
ge« «helr con«en«s where l« needed «o underground safety If your s«a«e You have vmlaled «he law. If you hl« a
go No one chncked wl«h «he el«les as «n doesn'« have penal«les \'«’lI1'1lnI1'1E|l’ llne 7 let's say you cm a 525,000 hher
where «hey rnlgh« lle expandlng aver laws, PHMSA can and null levy opne phone llne. wowl But worse, no
«he ner« sln years 7 «hese wnm all and penal«les 7 whlch are qul«e s«eep. one can call 911, «he rlre depar«rnen«,
gas npera«ors. They lalrl «ha« plpe ln lnsurance never, ever pays fines and hnspllals, doc«ors 7 l«’s a really llarl

«he qulclres«, mos« dlrec« way posslllle penal«les all has go««en leglsla«lon «hlng, leadlng «o all sor«s of po«en«lal

7 anrl «hey spared no expense ge««lng it «hnlugh «ha« lnl«lga«es some of «hese lawsul«s. someone has «o pay fox «llls
done, el«ller. penal«les for \’lOlaUOl1~', because dalnage 7 hu« wal«l 7 you have a loeale

m~lMsAlsno«ora mlnd «o fa lvea « k « F v}«‘l-ll «h k811.

‘}‘“—" ““ ""°“%‘‘ “W ‘”“’““ “’““" of l« And(l12l'L‘l~‘ nu enyera e 1n rrnore
would someday pass; «hey ran near ]n2, l« allnosl dal:~'n'I rna««er who you for {what M W 3 ‘ ’
srnall «nwns whleh would la«er llcenlne are and wha« you are rlnlng These W” ’

lllg lO\‘\’nS anrl cl«les. For«y years ls a days, even a horneowner dl’|v|ng a so, Ioe 7l know you'n: a busy lnan,
lnng «lane 7 «lme for «he grnunrl «a move pos« «o pu« up a «ence. or a surveyor anrl you can't wal« 42 hours «o ge« a job
and "walk” 7 lnns«ly fox «hnse plpellnes se««lng s«alees 7 if you pokl: a hole ln «he moving and all «ha« 7 «am l lhlnk you
«o shl««, no« «o be where «hey were pu« ground, «he law says you HAVE «o eall are a srnar« lnan, lou l dunk you can
long years ago. These nld paper lnaps 811. Every «llrle see l« lsn'« worth nsklng everything you
yus« amn’l all «ha« aceura«e anymore. “OK” "5 ‘ H 8“ ,1 have. You dldn't malre l« ln «.2 hours 7

,ynu say a ca ,v« la« b _ _

, u« you sure ean lose l« ovcz a 42 hollr
l« s a lo« easler «o hl« a plpellne «oday are «hey gonna do? Hllw do «hey nnd Wm Yum “mum mm in , can,‘
«han l« wr1~ back in «he day Those wlml's under wl1en:I’m gonna dlg ls hél ‘ you bu; 81; cm mfenfmem
cxpandlng «onns have pu« plpellnes «hose lnaps aren't atcuratz? They have m§fm’dm to ‘ P
srnaele wl«hln «helr el«y llrnl«s And some lrlnd of 'mr1gl: wallrw 3 ‘
over «he years, «here have been qul«e when VD“ mu Ru and [Cu them Whm You'll soon he «elllng ynur eus«nlner
a few unknown con«rae«nrs who have — H d I h k k d he ean (have l« tomorrow You have «o
"nltkcd" a llne «rom «lme lo nrne. New 3'“ ‘”’‘‘“ ° ‘59 ’‘‘’“‘ 'P° ‘ “Y ‘“ call 811. By «he wav, Joe, he sure «a «ell

_ of holes ln «he ground 7 you have lo —
and «hen, a homeowner ge«s a real your hlends «ha« «lmes have ellangerl
. wal« 43 hours wlllle all «he llnes ge« , .
sllnele when he drlyes a pos« ln«o «he . 7 «hey :1 better call 811 when lnsurance
marked. Each u«lll«v ls responslhle ,
— ean «help «hem, el«her. Q
2017, ears 2 lerasall . 19