|
Missouri
Law
Underground
Facility Safety and Damage Prevention
RSMO Chapter 319.015 to 319.050
319.015
- "Approximate location",
a strip of land not wider than the width of the underground
facility plus two
feet on either side thereof. In situations where reinforced
concrete, multiplicity of adjacent facilities or other
unusual
specified conditions interfere with location attempts,
the owner or operator shall designate to the best of
his or
her ability an approximate location of greater width;
- "Excavation", any operation
in which earth, rock or other material in or on the ground
is moved, removed
or otherwise displaced by means of any tools, equipment
or explosives and includes, without limitation, backfilling,
grading, trenching, digging, ditching, drilling, well-drilling,
augering, boring, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe
plowing,
plowing-in, pulling-in, ripping, driving, and demolition
of structures, except that, the use of mechanized tools
and equipment to break and remove pavement and masonry
down
only to the depth of such pavement or masonry, the use
of high-velocity air to disintegrate and suction to remove
earth, rock and other materials, and the tilling of soil
for agricultural or seeding purposes shall not be deemed
excavation. Backfilling or moving earth on the ground
in
connection with other excavation operations at the same
site shall not be deemed separate instances of excavation;
- "Marking", the use of stakes,
paint or other clearly identifiable materials to show
the field location
of underground facilities, or the area of proposed excavation,
in accordance with the color code standard of the American
Public Works Association. Unless otherwise provided by
the
American Public Works Association, the following color
scheme shall be used: blue for potable water; purple
for reclaimed
water, irrigation and slurry lines; green for sewers and
drain lines; red for electric, power lines, cables, conduit
and lighting cables; orange for communications, including
telephone, cable television, alarm or signal lines, cable
or conduit; yellow for gas, oil, steam, petroleum or
gaseous
materials; white for proposed excavation; pink for temporary
marking of construction project site features such as
centerline
and top of slope and toe of slope;
- "Notification center",
a statewide organization operating twenty-four hours
a day, three hundred sixty-five
days a year on a not-for-profit basis, supported by its
participants, or by more than one operator of underground
facilities, having as its principal purpose the statewide
receipt and dissemination to participating owners and
operators
of underground facilities of information concerning intended
excavation activities in the area where such owners and
operators have underground facilities, and open to participation
by any and all such owners and operators on a fair and
uniform
basis. Such notification center shall be governed by a
board of directors elected by the membership and composed
of representatives
from each general membership group;
- "Permitted project", a
project for which a permit for the work to be performed
is required to be issued
by a local, state or federal agency and, as a prerequisite
to receiving such permit, the applicant is required to
locate
all underground facilities in the area of the work and
in the vicinity of the excavation and is required to
notify
each owner of such underground facilities.
- "Person", any individual,
firm, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association,
cooperative, municipality,
political subdivision, govemmemal unit, department or agency
and shah include a notification center and any trustee,
receiver, assignee or personal representative thereof;
- "Pipeline facility" includes,
without limitation, new and existing pipe, rights-of-way,
and any equipment,
facility, or building used or intended for use in the transportation
of gas or the treatment of gas, or used or intended for
use in the transportation of hazardous liquids including
petroleum, or petroleum products;
- "Preengineered project",
a project which is approved by an agency or political
subdivision of the state
and for which the agency or political subdivision responsible
for the project, as part of its engineering and contract
procedures, holds a meeting prior to the commencement
of
any construction work on such project and in such meeting
all persons determined by the agency or political subdivision
to have underground facilities located within the excavation
area of the project are invited to attend and given an
opportunity
to verify or inform any agency or political subdivision
of the location of their underground facilities, if any,
within the excavation area and where the location of
all
known underground facilities are duly located or noted
on the engineering drawing as specifications for the
project;
- "Residential property",
any real estate used or intended to be used as a residence
by not more than four
families on which no underground facilities exist which
are owned or operated by any party other than the owner
of said property;
- "Underground facility", any item of personal
property which shall be buried or placed below ground for
use in connection with the storage or conveyance of water,
storm drainage, sewage, telecommunications service, cable
television service, electricity, oil, gas, hazardous liquids
or other substances, and shall include but not be limited
to pipes, sewers, conduits, cables, valves, lines, wires,
manholes, attachments and those portions of pylons or other
supports below ground that are within any public or private
street, road or alley, right-of-way dedicated to the public
use or utility easement of record, or prescriptive easement;
except that where gas distribution lines or electric lines,
tele-communications facilities, cable television facilities,
water service lines, water system, storm drainage or sewer
system lines are and such lines or facilities are owned
solely by the owner or owners of such property, such lines
or facilities receiving service shall not be considered
underground facilities for purposes of this chapter; provided,
however, for railroads regulated by the Federal Railroad
Administration, "underground facility" as used
in sections 319.015 to 319.050 shall not include any excavating
done by a railroad when such excavating is done entirely
on land which the rairoad owns or on which the railroad
operates, or in the event of emergency, on adjacent land;
- "Working day", every day,
except Saturday, Sunday or a legally declared local,
state or federal holiday.
319.022
- Owners and operators of underground pipeline facilities
in compliance with federal law shall, and owners and operators
of other underground facilities may, participate in a notification
center. The provisions of this subsection shall expire on
December 31, 2002.
- All owners and operators of underground facilities which
are located in a county of the first classification or second
classification within the state who are not members of a
notification center on August 28, 2001, shall become participants
in the notification center prior to January 1, 2003. Any
person who installs or otherwise becomes an owner or operator
of an underground facility which is located within a county
of the first classification or second classification on
or after January 1, 2003, shall become a participant in
the notification center within thirty days of acquiring
or operating such underground facility. Beginning January
1, 2003, all owners and operators of underground facilities
which are located in a county of the first classification
or second classification within the state shall maintain
participation in the notification center.
- All owners and operators of underground facilities which
are located in a county of the third classification or fourth
classification within the state who are not members of a
notification center on August 28, 2001, shall become participants
in the notification center prior to January 1, 2005. Any
person who installs or otherwise becomes an owner or operator
of an underground facility which is located within a county
of the third classification or fourth classification on
or after January t, 2005, shall become a participant in
the notification center within thirty days of acquiring
or operating such underground facility. Beginning January
1, 2005, all owners and operators of underground facilities
which are located in a county of the third classification
or fourth classification within the state shall maintain
participation in the notification center.
- The notification center shall maintain in its offices
and make available to any person upon request a current
list of the names and addresses of each owner and operator
participating in the notification center, including the
county or counties wherein each owner or operator has underground
facilities. The notification center may charge a reasonable
fee to persons requesting such list as is necessary to recover
the actual costs of printing and mailing.
- Excavators shall be informed of the availability of the
list of participants in the notification center required
in subsection 3 of this section in the manner provided for
in section 319.024.
- An annual audit or review of the notification center shall
be performed by a certified public accountant and a report
of the findings submitted to the speaker of the house of
representatives and the president pro tem of the senate.
319.023
- Except for owners and operators who are participants
in a notification center which maintains and makes available
a current list of participants, pursuant to section 319.022,
all owners and operators having underground facilities within
a county shall file with the recorder of deeds in any such
county a notice that such owner or operator has underground
facilities located within the county and the address and
the telephone number of the person or persons from whom
information about the location of such underground facilities
may be obtained.
- The recorder of deeds shall maintain a current list of
all owners and operators who have filed statements pursuant
to this chapter and shall make copies of such list available
to any person upon request.
- The provisions of this section shall expire on December
31, 2002.
319.024
- Every person owning or operating an underground facility
shall assist excavators and the general public in determining
the location of underground facilities before excavation
activities are begun or as may be required by subsection
6 of section 319.026 or subsection 1 of section 319.030
after an excavation has commenced. Methods of informing
the public and excavators of the means of obtaining such
information may, but need not, include advertising, including
advertising in periodicals of general circulation or trade
publications, information provided to professional or trade
associations which routinely provide information to excavators
or design professionals, or sponsoring meetings of excavators
and design professionals for such purposes. Information
provided by the notification center on behalf of persons
owning or operating an underground facility shall be deemed
in compliance with this section by such persons. Every person
owning or operating underground facilities who has a written
policy in determining the location of its underground facilities
shall make available a copy of said policy to any person
upon request.
- Every person owning or operating underground pipeline
facilities shall, in addition to the requirements of subsection
1 of this section:
- Identify on a current basis, persons who normally
engage in excavation activities in the area in which
the pipeline is located. Every such person who is a
participant in a notification center shall be deemed
to comply with this subdivision if such notification
center maintains and updates a list of the names and
addresses of all excavators who have given notice of
intent to excavate to such notification center during
the previous five years and provided the notification
center shall, not less frequently than annually, provide
public notification and actual notification to all excavators
on such list of the existence and purpose of the notification
center, and procedures for obtaining information from
the notification center;
- Either directly or through the notification center,
notify excavators and the public in the vicinity of
his or her underground pipeline facility of the availability
of the notification center by including the information
set out in subsection 1 of section 319.025, in notifications
required by the safety rules of the Missouri public
service commission relating to its damage prevention
program;
- Notify excavators annually who give notice of their
intent to excavate of the type of marking to be provided
and how to identify the markings.
319.025
- Except as provided in sections 319.030 and 319.050, a
person shall not make or begin any excavation in any public
street, road or alley, right-of-way dedicated to the public
use or utility easement of record or within any private
street or private property without first giving notice to
and obtaining information concerning the possible location
of any underground facilities which may be affected by said
excavation from each and every owner and operator of underground
facilities whose name appears on the current list of participants
in the notification center. Prior to January 1, 2003, a
person shall not make or begin any excavation pursuant to
this subsection without also making notice to owners or
operators of underground facilities which do not participate
in a notification center and whose name appears on the current
list of the recorder of deeds in and for the county in which
the excavation is to occur. Beginning January 1, 2003, notice
to the notification center of proposed excavation shall
be deemed notice to all owners and operators of underground
facilities. The notice referred to in this section shall
comply with the provisions of section 319.026.
- An excavator's notice to owners and operators of underground
facilities participating in the notification center pursuant
to section 319.022 is ineffective for purposes of subsection
1 of this section unless given to such notification center.
Prior to January 1, 2003, the notice required by subsection
I of this section shall be given directly to owners or operators
of underground facilities who are not represented by a notification
center.
- If the excavator is engaged in trenching, ditching, drilling,
well-drilling or -driving, augering or boring and, if upon
notification by the excavator pursuant to section 319.026,
the owner or operator notifies the excavator that the area
of excavation cannot be determined from the description
provided by the excavator, the excavator shall mark the
proposed area of excavation prior to marking of location
by the owner or operator of the facility. For any excavation,
as defined in section 319.015, if the owner or operator
notifies the excavator that the area of excavation cannot
be determined from the description provided by the excavator
through the notice required by this section, the owner or
operator may require the excavator to provide project plans
to the owner or operator, or meet on the site of the excavation
with representatives of the owner or operator as provided
by subsection 1 of section 319.030. The provisions of this
subsection shall not apply to owners of residential property
performing excavations on their own property.
319.026
- An excavator shall serve notice of intent to excavate
to the notification center by toll-free telephone number
operated on a twenty-four hour per day, seven day per week
basis or, prior to January 1, 2003, to individual nonparticipant
owners or operators at least two working days, but not more
than ten working days, before commencing the excavation
activity. The notification center receiving such notice
shall inform the excavator of all owners, operators and
other persons to whom such notice will be transmitted and
shall promptly transmit such notice to every public utility,
municipal corporation and all persons owning or operating
an underground facility in the area of excavation and which
are participants in and have registered their locations
with the notification center. The notification center receiving
such notice shall solicit all information required in subsection
2 of this section from the excavator and shall transmit
all details of such notice as required by this section.
- Each notice of intent to excavate
given pursuant to this section shall contain the name,
address and telephone number
and facsimile number, if any, of the person filing the
notice of intent, the name, address and telephone number
of the
excavator, the date the excavation activity is to commence,
the depth of planned excavation and, if applicable, that
the use of explosives is anticipated on the excavation
site,
and the type of excavation being planned, including whether
the excavation involves tunneling or horizontal boring.
The notice shall state whether someone is available between
8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on working days at the telephone
number given and whether the excavator's telephone is
equipped
with a recording device. The notice shall also specify
the location of the excavation by any one or more of
the following
means: by reference to a specific street address, or by
reference to specific quarter section, and shall state
whether
excavation is to take place within the city limits. The
notice shall also include a description of the location
or locations of the excavation at the site described
by
direction and approximate distance in relation to prominent
features of the site, such as existing buildings or roadways.
For excavations occurring outside the limits of an incorporated
city, the following additional information shall be provided:
the location of the excavation in relation to the nearest
numbered, lettered or named state or county road which
is
posted on a road sign, including the approximate distance
from the nearest intersection or prominent landmark;
and,
if the excavation is not on or near a posted numbered,
lettered or named state or county road, directions as
to how to reach
the site of the excavation from the nearest such road.
The notification center receiving such notice shall solicit
all information required in this subsection and shall
require
the excavator to provide all such information before notice
by the excavator is deemed to be completed pursuant to
sections
319.015 to 319.050. The notification center shall transmit
all details of such notice as required in subsection
1 of
this section.
- A written record of each notice of intent to excavate
shall be maintained by the notification center or, prior
to January 1, 2003, by the nonmember owner or operator receiving
direct notifications for a period of five years. The record
shall include the date the notice was received and all information
required by subsection 2 of this section which was provided
by the excavator. If the recipient creates a record of the
notice by computer or telephone recording, such record of
the original notice shall be maintained for one year from
the date of receipt. Persons holding records of notices
of intent to excavate and records of information provided
to the excavator by the notification center or owner or
operator of the facility, shall make copies of such records
available for a reasonable copying fee upon the request
of the owner or operator of the underground facilities or
the excavator filing the notice.
- If in the course of excavation the person responsible
for the excavation operations discovers that the owner or
operator of the underground facility who is a participant
in a notification center has incorrectly located the underground
facility, he or she shall notify, the notification center
which shall inform the participating owner or operator.
If the owner or operator of the underground facility is
not a participant in a notification center prior to the
January 1, 2003, effective date for mandatory participation
pursuant to section 319.022, the person responsible for
the excavation shall notify the owner. The person responsible
for maintaining records of the location of underground facilities
for the owner or operator shall correct such records to
show the actual location of such facilities, if current
records are incorrect.
- Notwithstanding the fact that a project is a preengineered
project or a permitted project, excavators connected therewith
shall be required to give notification in accordance with
this section prior to commencement of excavation.
- When markings have been provided in response to a notice
of intent to excavate, excavators may continue to work within
the area described in the notice so long as the markings
are visible. If markings become unusable due to weather,
construction or other cause, the excavator shall contact
the notification center to request remarking. Such notice
shall be given in the same manner as original notice of
intent to excavate, and the owner or operator shall remark
the site in the same manner, within the same time, as required
in response to an original notice of intent to excavate.
Each excavator shall exercise reasonable care not to unnecessarily
disturb or obliterate markings provided for location of
underground facilities. If remarking is required due to
the excavator's failure to exercise reasonable care, or
if repeated unnecessary requests for remarking are made
by an excavator even though the markings are visible and
usable, the excavator may be liable to the owner or operator
for the reasonable cost of such remarking.
319.028
- On or atter January 1, 2003, an owner or operator of
underground facilities, who has become a participant in
the notification center as required in section 319.022,
will maintain participation in the notification center,
unless it is determined that the inaccuracy rate of the
notification center reaches fifteen percent. The accuracy
rate shall be determined by the number of notifications
of an excavation, where the owner or operator has no underground
facilities at the excavation site, as described in the excavators
notification, divided by the total number of notifications
to an owner or operator of underground facilities during
any twelve month period.
- Once the notification center has an inaccuracy rate of
fifteen percent or higher for any owner or operator of underground
facilities, then any such owner or operator may withdraw
from participation in the notification center by providing
written notice to the notification center of its withdrawl.
The owner or operator shall then file with the Recorder
of Deeds for each County it has underground facilities,
a statement that it has underground facilities and a name
and phone number of a contact person that excavators shall
contact and notify of its intent to excavate. The owner
or operator shall also publish, at least quarterly, in a
newspaper or other publication of general circulation in
counties that have underground facilities a statement that
the owner or operator has underground facilities and who
the excavator shall contact regarding its intent to excavate.
- After January 1, 2003, in the event that an owner or
operator withdraws from the notification center no party
may use in an any legal proceeding the fact that an owner
or operator has withdrawn from the notification center as
evidence to establish negligence, recklessness, lack of
adherence to industry standards, or any other manner which
would suggest that the owner or operator failed to comply
with any standard of care.
319.030
- Every person owning or operating
an underground facility to whom notice of intent to excavate
is required to be given
shall, upon receipt of such notice as provided in this
section from a person intending to commence an excavation,
inform
the excavator as promptly as practical, but not in excess
of two working days from receipt of the notice, unless
otherwise
mutually agreed, of the approximate location of underground
facilities in or near the area of the excavation so as
to
enable the person engaged in the excavation work to locate
the facilities in advance of and during the excavation
work.
If the information available to the owner or operator of
a pipeline facility or an underground electric or communications
cable discloses that valves, vaults or other appurtenances
are located in or near the area of excavation, the owner
or operator shall either inform the excavator of the
approximate
location of such appurtenances at the same time and in
the same manner as the approximate location of the remainder
of the facility is provided, or shall at such time inform
the excavator that appurtenances exist in the area and
provide
a telephone number through which the excavator may contact
a representative of the owner or operator who will meet
at the site within one working day after request from
the
excavator and at such meeting furnish the excavator with
the available information about the location and nature
of such appurtenances. If the excavator states in the
notice
of intent to excavate that the excavation will involve
tunneling or horizontal boring, the owner or operator
shall inform
the excavator of the depth, to the best of his or her knowledge
or ability, of the facility according to the records
of
the owner or operator. The owner or operator shall provide
the approximate location of underground facilities by
use
of markings. If stakes are used, staking shall be consistent
with the color code and other standards for ground markings.
Persons representing the excavator and the owner or operator
shall meet on the site of excavation within two working
days of a request by either person for such meeting for
the purpose of clarifying markings, or upon agreement
of
the excavator and owner or operator, such meeting may be
an alternate means of providing the location of facilities
by originally marking the approximate location of the
facility
at the time of the meeting. If upon receipt of a notice
of intent to excavate, an owner or operator determines
that
he or she neither owns or operates underground facilities
in or near the area of excavation, the owner or operator
shall within two working days alter receipt of the notice,
inform the excavator that the owner or operator has no
facilities
located in the area of the proposed excavation. If the
notice of intent to excavate provided to the owner or
operator
of the underground facility by the notification center
states that a person is available at the telephone number
given
in the notice between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on each working
day or that the excavators telephone is equipped with a
recording device, or states a facsimile number for the excavator,
the owner or operator shall make actual notice of no facilities
in the area of the excavation described in the notice by
one or more of the following methods: calling the telephone
number given between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on a working
day; leaving a message on the excavator's recording device;
transmitting a facsimile message to the excavator; marking
"no facilities" or "clear" at the site
of excavation; or verbally informing the excavator at the
site of excavation. If the notice of intent to excavate
provided to the owner or operator does not indicate that
a person is available at the telephone number given in
the
notice between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on each working
day or that the excavator's telephone is equipped with
a recording
device or that a facsimile number is provided for receiving
facsimile messages, then the owner or operator may attempt
to notify the excavator of no facilities in the area of
excavation by any of the methods indicated above; however,
two documented attempts by the owner or operator to reach
such an excavator by telephone shall constitute compliance
with this subsection. A record of the date and means of
informing the excavator that no facilities were located
by the owner or operator, shall be included in the written
records required by subsection 3 of section 319.026.
- Owners and operators of underground facilities who are
participants in the notification center according to the
current list maintained in the offices of the notification
center shall be relieved of the responsibility to respond
to notices of intent to excavate received directly from
the person intending to commence an excavation, except for
requests for clarification of markings through on-site meetings
and requests for locations at the time of an emergency as
provided by section 319.050.
- In the event that a person owning or operating an underground
facility fails to comply with the provisions of subsection
1 of this section after notice given by an excavator in
compliance with section 319.026, the excavator, prior to
commencing the excavation, shall give a second notice to
the same entity to whom the original notice was made as
required by section 319.026. If, after the receipt of the
second notice, the owner or operator of an underground facility
fails to provide the excavator with location information
during the next working day, the excavator may commence
the excavation. Nothing in this subsection shall excuse
the excavator from exercising the degree of care in making
the excavation as is otherwise required by law.
- For purposes of this section, a period of two working
days begins upon receipt of the excavator's notice of intent
to excavate or upon receipt of a request for a meeting and
shall end on the second working day thereafter at the same
time of day. If the excavator's notice of intent to excavate
or a request for a meeting is received on a working day
before 8:00 a.m., such period of time shall begin at 8:00
a.m. of that day. If the excavator's notice of intent to
excavate or a request for a meeting is received after 5:00
p.m. on a working day, or at any time on a day that is not
a working day, then such period of time shall begin at 8:00
am. of the first working day after the day of actual receipt.
319.036
Any person owning or leasing agricultural
property shall not be required to make notice of excavation
required by section 319.022 for excavations on such property,
if such excavation is not in the proximity of an underground
facility which is marked with an aboveground placard or line
marker and is not in the proximity of a utility easement known
to that person. For purposes of this section agricultural
property means any property used to produce an agricultural
product as defined by section 348.400, RSMo, or defined as
agricultural property by that section.
319.037
- Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
the procedures and requirements set forth in this section
shall apply on the site of any excavation involving horizontal
boring, including directional drilling, where the approximate
location of underground facilities has been marked in compliance
with section 319.030 and where any part of the walls of
the intended bore are within the marked approximate location
of the underground facility.
- The excavator shall not use power-driven
equipment for horizontal boring, including directional
drilling, within
the marked approximate location of such underground facilities
until the excavator has made careful and prudent efforts
to confirm the horizontal and vertical location thereof
in the vicinity of the proposed excavation through methods
appropriate to the geologic and weather conditions, and
the nature of the facility, such as the use of electronic
locating devices, hand digging, pot holing when practical,
soft digging, vacuum methods, use of pressurized air
or
water, pneumatic hand tools or other noninvasive methods
as such methods are developed. Such methods of confirming
location shall not violate established safety practices.
Nothing in this subsection shall authorize any person
other
than the owner or operator of a facility to attach an electronic
locating device to any underground facility. For excavations
paralleling the underground facility, such efforts to
confirm
the location of the facility shall be made at careful and
prudent intervals. The excavator shall also make careful
and prudent efforts by such means as are appropriate
to
the geologic and weather conditions and the nature of the
facility, to confirm the horizontal and vertical location
of the boring device during boring operations. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the excavator shall not be required to
confirm
the horizontal or vertical location of the underground
facilities if the excavator, using the methods described
in this section,
excavates a hole over the underground facilities to a depth
two feet or more below the planned boring path and then
carefully and prudently monitors the horizontal and vertical
location of the boring device in a manner calculated
to
enable the device to be visually observed by the excavator
as it crosses the entire width of the marked approximate
location of the underground facilities.
319.040
The
failure of any excavator to give notice of proposed excavation
activities as required by this chapter shall be a rebuttable
presumption of negligence on his part in the event that such
failure shall cause injury, loss or damage. In addition to
any penalties provided herein, liability under common law
may apply.
319.041
Nothing in the foregoing shall relieve
an excavator from the obligation to excavate in a safe
and
prudent manner, nor shall it absolve an excavator from liability
for damage to legally installed facilities. Notwithstanding
any provision of law to the contrary, nothing in this chapter
shall abrogate any contractual provisions entered into
between
any railroad and any other party owning or operating an underground
facility within the railroad's right-of-way.
319.045
- In the event of any damage or dislocation or disturbance
of any underground facility in connection with any excavation,
the person responsible for the excavation operations shall
immediately notify the notification center and the owner
or operator of the facility or the owner or operator, if
known, if it is not a participant in the notification center
prior to January 1, 2003. On or after January 1, 2003, the
responsible party shall notify the notification center only.
- In the event of any damage or dislocation or disturbance
to any underground facility in advance of or during the
excavation work, the person responsible for the excavation
operations shall not conceal or attempt to conceal such
damage or dislocation or disturbance, nor shall that person
attempt or make repairs to the facility unless authorized
by the owner or operator of the facility. In the case of
sewer lines or facilities, emergency temporary repairs may
be made by the excavator after notification without the
owners' or operators' authorization to prevent further damage
to the facilities. Such emergency repairs shall not relieve
the excavator of responsibility to make notification as
required by subsection 1 of this section.
- Any person who violates in any material respect the provisions
of section 319.022, 319.023, 319.025, 319.026, 319.030,
310.037 or 319.045 or who willfully damages an underground
facility shall be liable to the state of Missouri for a
civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars for each violation
for each day such violation persists, except that the maximum
penalty for violation of the provisions of sections 319.010
to 319.050 shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars
for any related series of violations. An action to recover
such civil penalty may be brought by the attorney general
or a prosecuting attorney on behalf of the state of Missouri
in any appropriate circuit court of this state. Trial thereof
shall be before the court, which shall consider the nature,
circumstances and gravity of the violation, and with respect
to the person found to have committed the violation, the
degree of culpability, the absence or existence of prior
violations, whether the violation was a willful act, the
effect on ability to continue to do business, any good faith
in attempting to achieve compliance, ability to pay the
penalty, and such other matters as justice may require in
determining the amount of penalty imposed.
- The attorney general may bring an action in any appropriate
circuit court of this state for equitable relief to redress
or restrain a violation by any person of any provision of
sections 319.010 to 319.050. The court may grant such relief
as is necessary or appropriate, including mandatory or prohibitive
injunctive relief, temporary or permanent.
319.050
The provisions of sections 319.025
and 319.026 shall not apply to any utility which is repairing
or replacing any of its facilities due to damage caused
during
an unexpected occurrence or when making an excavation at
times of emergency resulting from a sudden, unexpected
occurrence,
and presenting a clear and imminent danger demanding immediate
action to prevent or mitigate loss or damage to life, health,
property or essential public services. "Unexpected occurrence" includes,
but is not limited to, thunderstorms, high winds, ice or
snow storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, or other soil
or geologic movements, riots, accidents, water pipe breaks,
vandalism or sabotage which cause damage to surface or
subsurface
facilities requiting immediate repair. An excavator or utility
may proceed regarding such emergency, provided all reasonable
precautions have been taken to protect the underground
facilities.
In any such case, the excavator or utility shall give notification,
substantially in compliance with section 319.026, as soon
as practical, and upon being notified that an emergency
exists,
each owner and operator of an underground facility in the
area shall immediately provide all location information
reasonably
available to any excavator who requests the same.
|