California Government Code 4216.10 v2 – (a) In lieu of the notification and locate and field mark …
(a) In lieu of the notification and locate and field mark requirements of Sections 4216.2 and 4216.3, an excavator may contact a regional notification center to request a continual excavation ticket for an area of continual excavation. The regional notification center shall provide a ticket to the person who contacts the center pursuant to this section and shall notify any member, if known, who has a subsurface installation in the area of continual excavation. The ticket provided to the excavator shall include the contact information for notified operators.
(b) An operator shall provide a response to the excavator pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4216.3.
Terms Used In California Government Code 4216.10 v2
- Area of continual excavation: means a location where excavation is part of the normal business activities of agricultural operations and flood control facilities. See California Government Code 4216
- Board: means the California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board, also known as the "Dig Safe Board. See California Government Code 4216
- Excavation: means any operation in which earth, rock, or other material in the ground is moved, removed, or otherwise displaced by means of tools, equipment, or explosives in any of the following ways: grading, trenching, digging, ditching, drilling, augering, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing and driving, or any other way. See California Government Code 4216
- excavator: means any person, firm, contractor or subcontractor, owner, operator, utility, association, corporation, partnership, business trust, public agency, or other entity that, with their own employees or equipment, performs any excavation. See California Government Code 4216
- High priority subsurface installation: means high-pressure natural gas pipelines with normal operating pressures greater than 415kPA gauge (60psig), petroleum pipelines, pressurized sewage pipelines, high-voltage electric supply lines, conductors, or cables that have a potential to ground of greater than or equal to 60kv, or hazardous materials pipelines that are potentially hazardous to workers or the public if damaged. See California Government Code 4216
- Legal excavation start date and time: means two working days, not including the date of notification, unless the excavator specifies a later date and time, which shall not be more than 14 calendar days from the date of notification. See California Government Code 4216
- Locate and field mark: means to indicate the existence of any owned or maintained subsurface installations by using the guidelines in Appendix B of the "Guidelines for Operator Facility Field Delineation" published in the most recent version of the Best Practices guide of the Common Ground Alliance and in conformance with the uniform color code of the American Public Works Association. See California Government Code 4216
- Operator: means any person, corporation, partnership, business trust, public agency, or other entity that owns, operates, or maintains a subsurface installation. See California Government Code 4216
- Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
- Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
- Regional notification center: means a nonprofit association or other organization of operators of subsurface installations that provides advance warning of excavations or other work close to existing subsurface installations, for the purpose of protecting those installations from damage, removal, relocation, or repair. See California Government Code 4216
- Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
- Subsurface installation: means any underground pipeline, conduit, duct, wire, or other structure, except nonpressurized sewerlines, nonpressurized storm drains, or other nonpressurized drain lines. See California Government Code 4216
- Ticket: means an excavation location request issued a number by the regional notification center. See California Government Code 4216
(c) (1) When the area of continual excavation includes, or is within 10 feet of, a high priority subsurface installation, the operator of the high priority subsurface installation shall notify the excavator of the existence of the high priority subsurface installation to set up an onsite meeting prior to the legal excavation start date and time or at a mutually agreed upon time to determine actions or activities required to verify the location and to prevent damage to the high priority subsurface installation during the continual excavation time period. The onsite meeting shall be used to develop a mutually agreed upon plan for excavation activities that may be conducted within 25 feet of each side of the subsurface installation. Additional onsite meetings should also be held following unexpected occurrences or prior to excavation activities that may create conflicts with subsurface installations. As part of the meeting, the excavator shall discuss with the operator the method and tools that will be used during the excavation and the information the operator will provide to assist in verifying the location of the subsurface installation. The excavator shall not begin excavating until after the completion of the onsite meeting and information has been provided describing the activities that can be safely conducted to prevent damage to the high priority subsurface installation.
(2) When the area of continual excavation includes a subsurface installation but does not include, or is not within 10 feet of, a high priority subsurface installation, the excavator or the operator may request an onsite meeting at a mutually agreed upon time to determine actions or activities required to verify the location and to prevent damage to the subsurface installation during the continual excavation time period. The onsite meeting may be used to develop a plan for excavation activities that may be conducted within five feet of each side of the subsurface installation. The operator and excavator may mutually agree to conduct additional onsite meetings following unexpected occurrences or prior to excavation activities that may create conflicts with subsurface installations. As part of the meeting, the excavator may discuss with the operator the method and tools that will be used during the excavation and the information the operator will provide to assist in verifying the location of the subsurface installation. If an onsite meeting is requested prior to the legal excavation start date and time, the excavator shall not begin excavating until after the completion of the onsite meeting and information has been provided describing the activities that can be safely conducted to prevent damage to the subsurface installation.
(3) The excavator and operator shall maintain records regarding the plan of excavation, any locate and field mark and standby activities, and any other information deemed necessary by the excavator and operator. Excavation activities outside the scope of the plan shall be undertaken subsequent to notification pursuant to Section 4216.2.
(d) A ticket for an area of continual excavation shall be valid for one year from the date of issuance. The excavator may renew the ticket within two working days either by accessing the regional notification center’s Internet Web site or by calling “811.”
(e) The board shall, in consultation with the regional notification centers, develop through regulation a process by which the renewal requirement for a continual excavation ticket may be modified or eliminated for areas of continual excavation in which no subsurface installations are present.
(f) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2020.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 26, Sec. 50. (SB 92) Effective June 27, 2017. Section initially operative July 1, 2020, by its own provisions.)