Page 18 - Louisiana 811 Magazine 2017 Issue 3

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on might have heard that the about current events in the industry, law unless there is a consensus
Louisiana state Legislature and updates on lawsuits or litigation ,.EmybDdy must bz an ‘he mm Page
approved a bill during the last that are out there,” Emory said ’’If mm W go ‘a ‘he lggmtum and
session to move enforcement there are any proposed changes to the ’ ,,
, . . recommend any ohangcs to the law,

of the state s dig law from the Louisiana law that address problems expressed hz said

State Poliee to the Depariinent or by one group or another, the committee ’

Natural Resources Pipeline Division. will rlisruss it, vet the issues and work The topie iriost trequently discussed by
But what you may not know is the toward a snlution that is 2| collaborative the committee is of course the Louisiana
inner workings of that law were Crafted effort of all stakeholders." Underground Utilities and Facilities
and honerl through a eollaboratave V Damage Prevention Act that was
proeess involving more than two dozen " passed in 1933 and has been modified
stakeholder groups and input trom the E V6 ryb numerous times since. Because the act's
public. otticial title is a mouthful, mast people
The group naaaiaaai ha and must be 0” ;j;;'3gj;gLf;",3W*"‘*"°"°‘mP‘Y
many other changes to the state's .. g t ‘ -

damage prevention law is the Dig Law H7 e S a rn e D d e A lot has changed in the 29 years since
Advisory committee. It was formed the original Dig Law was passed, and
around the year zonu with a goal of be fOre We go IO a lot of the reecnt changes brought
bringing the state's tacility owners and _ by the committee are related to
operators together with the excavahon U7 e /eg, 5 [a 1*” re changes in technology, Emory said.
community Lllat works in and around The ability to submit online tiekeis
those taciliiies. The group has been to LA811, CPS-assisted locating and
am by Emory _ a n d re co m m e n d are
who specializes in energy-related and a few examples of technologies that
utility regulatory law — for the last five a I’) V CI”) a /’7 geS to are becoming eoinmonplaee today,

or six years. ' H but were unheard of in the '80s, and
"The primary purpose of the Dig Law e l/V Wzmn I flddresmd In the angina‘ law‘
Advisory committee is to provide a And sometimes there's just a common
forum where all of these stakeholders . _ sense loophole that needs to be closed,

That collaborative mentality is key to
can meet on a regular basis and talk mmmmm Emm Sam the gmup as illustrated by a case several years ago
doesn't recommend a change to state
16 . E11 2017 Issue: