,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #aia  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april    
#bi1 #bjba,mr4 ,peters 7for himself1    
,mrs4 ,fischer1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 and ,mr4
 ,wicker7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation  ,,resolution           
,supporting the goals and ideals of     
,national ,safe ,digging ,month4        
,whereas1 each year1 the underground    
utility infrastructure of the ,united   
,states1 including pipelines1 electric1 
gas1 telecommunications1 water1 sewer1  
and cable television lines1 is          
jeopardized by unintentional damage     
caused by those who fail to locate      
underground utility lines prior to      
digging2 ,whereas some utility lines are
 buried only a few inches underground1  
making the lines easy to strike1 even   
during shallow digging projects2        
,whereas digging prior to locating      
underground utility lines often results 

in unintended consequences1 such as     
service interruption1 environmental     
damage1 personal injury1 and even death2
 ,whereas the month of ,april marks the 
beginning of the peak period during     
which excavation projects are carried   
out around the ,united ,states2         
,whereas1 in #bjjb1 ,congress required  
the ,department of ,transportation and  
the ,federal ,communications ,commission
 to establish a #c-;digit1 nationwide1  
toll-free number to be used by ,state   
,one ,call systems to provide           
information on underground utility      
lines2 ,whereas1 in #bjje1 the ,federal 
,communications ,commission designated  
#haa as the nationwide ,one ,call number
 for homeowners and excavators to use to
 obtain information on underground      
utility lines before conducting         
excavation activities2 ,whereas the     
#a1gjj members of the ,common ,ground   
,alliance1 who are dedicated to ensuring
 public safety1 environmental           
protection1 and the integrity of        

services1 promote the national ,call    
,before ,you ,dig campaign to increase  
public awareness about the importance of
 homeowners and excavators calling #haa 
to find out the exact location of       
underground utility lines2 ,whereas the 
,pipeline ,safety1 ,regulatory          
,certainty1 and ,job ,creation ,act of  
#bjaa 7,public ,law #aab-ij2 #abe ,stat4
 #aijd7 affirmed and expanded the ,one  
,call program by eliminating exemptions 
given to local and ,state government    
agencies and their contractors regarding
 notifying ,one ,call centers before    
digging2 ,whereas1 according to the     
,common ,ground ,alliance's #bjai       
,damage ,information ,reporting ,tool   
7,,dirt7 ,report published in ,october  
#bjbj1 there were an estimated #ecb1jjj 
instances of excavation-related damage  
to underground facilities in the ,united
 ,states during #bjai1 a #d4e-percent   
increase from the ,common ,ground       
,alliance's #bjah estimate2 ,whereas the
 ,common ,ground ,alliance conducted a  

survey in #bjbj and found that #ej      
percent of the more than #a1hjj         
respondents were aware of #haa1 the     
highest level since the survey was first
 conducted in #bjjh2 ,whereas the       
,common ,ground ,alliance estimated that
 the societal costs of                  
excavation-related damage to buried     
utilities were #cj1jjj1jjj1jjj in #bjai1
 including costs for facility repair1   
property damage1 medical bills1 and     
costs to the surrounding businesses     
affected by the resulting utility       
outages2 and ,whereas the ,common       
,ground ,alliance has designated ,april 
as ,national ,safe ,digging ,month to   
increase awareness of safe digging      
practices across the ,united ,states and
 to celebrate the anniversary of #haa1  
the national ,call ,before ,you ,dig    
number3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the
 ,senate-- 7#a7 supports the goals and  
ideals of ,national ,safe ,digging      
,month2  7#b7 encourages all homeowners 
and excavators throughout the ,united   

,states to call #haa before digging2 and
  7#c7 encourages all damage prevention 
stakeholders to help educate homeowners 
and excavators throughout the ,united   
,states about the importance of calling 
#haa before digging4