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We Get Questions
Can I submit an AVR against a company that hasn’t damaged anything yet?
I presume you see someone digging without having a valid 811 ticket, or perhaps they are excavating without ever calling in a ticket. AVRs can be submitted when a violation of Mississippi’s dig law is violated, or you think it has been violated. For example, digging without a ticket is a clear violation and is subject to enforcement action, but only when the enforcement board is made aware of the violation. So, if you are unable to work with the alleged violator to resolve the issue, your next step would be to file an AVR.
Is the utility locator or representative required to put paint or flags on the ground if the utility is listed on the ticket?
Not necessarily is the best answer. Before going to the job site, the excavator should pull up the ticket to see how the utility responded. If the locator states in the Positive Response Information System (PRIS) that there is no conflict, by law the locator is not required
to put any paint on the ground. When the excavator gets on site and notices there is
no paint on the ground for a utility that is identified on the 811 ticket, he should first check the positive responses for that ticket. An entry of “no conflict” in PRIS means that the locator is not required to put paint on the ground for that utility.
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Our 2023 Sponsors included: Platinum; Mississippi 811
and Progressive Partnering, Gold; 811 Magazines and USIC, Silver; Kinder Morgan and Rust-Oleum, Bronze; Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services, CenterPoint Energy, Compliance Envirosystems, Hartee Natural Gas Storage, Utility Training Academy, and Vermeer MidSouth, Drink Sponsor; Locate Point.
Exhibitors for the 2023 Mississippi 811 Summit were: 811 Magazines, Badger Daylighting, Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services, CenterPoint Energy, Columbia Southern University, Compliance EnviroSystems, LLC, Core Phoenix, LLC, Ditch Witch Mid-South, EGW, Green Equipment Company, Gulf Atlantic Supply, Irth Solutions, Kinder Morgan, LineQuest, Line-Scape, Miller Pipeline, Mississippi Rural Water Association, Mississippi 811, Navigation Electronics, Inc, OSHA, Paradigm, PHMSA, Power & Tel Supply, Power-Tel Utility Products, Project Resources Group, Red Bud Supply, Inc, Rust-OleumT.L. Wallace Construction, Tri-State Utility Contractors, Inc, United Systems and Software, Inc, USIC, Utility Training Academy, Vermeer MidSouth, Vivax-Metrotech, Vulcan Utility Signs and Williams Energy.
The Mississippi 811 and Damage Prevention Summit team appreciate your sponsorship and willingness to exhibit at this premier event. This is the one show annually that brings all stakeholders together to discuss better ways of working together to drive damages down in Mississippi. Progress is being made and by sponsoring and exhibiting you help make it possible. Let us know how we can make this event even better for you.
Thanks again to all who participated in this year’s Summit. We hope to see you next year back at IP in Biloxi for the 2024 Damage Prevention Summit to see what progress has been made as the result of your efforts this year!
Is it a violation of the dig law to mark a fiber
line with red paint or flags?
Mississippi dig law 77-13-9(4) states “When marking the approximate location of the facilities, the operator shall follow the color code designated and described herein,
unless otherwise provided for by specific administrative rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to this chapter.” Specifically, the identifying color for fiber is “Safety Alert Orange.” Any other color for fiber would
be a violation of the dig law and subject to enforcement action when an AVR (complaint) is submitted to the board accompanied with the proper documentation.
6 • Mississippi 811 2023, Issue 4