While the results of the election are still uncertain, one thing is all too clear: Congress has allowed the nation’s chief pipeline safety regulator to lapse without reauthorization for 400 days. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was up for reauthorization late in 2019. That reauthorization is important…
The futuristic vision of drones, artificial intelligence, and other smart technology building and maintaining our critical infrastructure is closer than many think. Already, many in the transportation and utility sector employ those very technologies in daily operations to ensure efficiency and safety. As proponents of innovation, Aii hopes to…
Excavation Damage Every person is required to call 811 or notify their safe digging One-Call center before breaking ground. That is for backyard projects, tree planting, home construction, or professional-level excavation. Failing to do this threatens to expose or damage a pipeline, electrical line, telephone or Internet cable, water main,…
Washington D.C, – October 14, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for state legislatures, regulatory bodies, and damage prevention professionals: 2020 Damage Prevention Report Card. This comprehensive analysis of every state’s damage prevention laws and regulations tracks progress over time in key…
The damage prevention industry is critically important for public safety. To properly prevent damage, communication and use of technology are essential. This not only guarantees smooth, efficient, and cost effective projects, it literally saves lives. Every year, millions of dollars in lost productivity, service interruption, property damage, and even serious…
Infrastructure Week, hosted by United For Infrastructure and partnered with many organizations including Aii, has come to a close. The virtual conference included panels, papers, and perspective across the nation and from all backgrounds. The year’s theme is “Rebuild Better” with special emphasis on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, incorporating resilience, and…
Washington D.C, District of Columbia – August 27, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for industry leaders and public officials entitled ‘811: One-Call Before You Dig | The Development and Future of Damage Prevention Efforts’ reviewing the history of One-Call centers and raising…
Beneath Our Feet Underground infrastructure in America run for millions of miles. These make possible the basics of modern American life, carrying water, energy resources, electricity, cable, Internet, and phone service. Often we see utilities over our heads, like electrical lines, or even along the sidewalk, like pad-mounted transformer boxes….
Under city streets, through countless acres of open fields, across bridges, and over mountains, pipelines quietly deliver energy resources throughout North America. “Pipelines” generally conjure up images of large diameter pipes transporting crude oil. However, there are numerous types of pipelines as well; water, sewage, brine waste, and even…
Excavating any site can be risky. Even when all the proper procedures are followed, the 20 million miles of underground facilities can cause dozens of complications. Maps can be incomplete, locators can mark improperly, and excavators can misjudge their dig. At its worst, these mistakes and oversights can result…
Washington D.C, District of Columbia – April 30, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for industry leaders and public officials entitled ‘Improving Upon Our Dig Laws: Excavation Damage, Data, and Trends for Industry and Policymaker Analysis (2018 Data)’ analyzing the increasing excavation…
In March of 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 811 as the nationwide phone number for excavation damage prevention. Now, 15 years later, we have seen damages decline as everyone from homeowners to construction crews call before they dig. The federal designation unified the nation’s programs into one simple,…
Explosions can destroy homes, cost thousands, and threaten human lives. Worse than a tragic explosion is one that happens in spite of it being entirely preventable. This type of tragedy, whether by willful disregard for the law or lack of competence is why best practices for excavation are so critical….
Underneath the feet of every American are millions of miles of buried cables, electrical lines, pipelines, water systems, and more. This vast network of underground utilities is coursing with the information, power, and resources we rely on every day. But because it is buried under our yards, sidewalks, gardens, parking…
As technology improves, law and regulation must improve for the sake of public safety. Excavation damage has been a leading – and in many years the leading – cause of pipeline incidents for decades. More than ten years ago, Congress addressed what was then the leading contributor to these incidents…
