INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) yesterday accepted two stipulations issuing civil penalties to Great Basin Transmission Company (Great Basin) and Aspen Developers Corp. (Aspen) for a pipeline excavation damage incident that occurred on Oct. 9, 2024, near Incline Village.

The civil penalties were issued in Docket Nos. 25-02009 and 25-02010 as part of the PUCN’s enforcement of Nevada’s “Call (811) Before You Dig” law. The excavation damage associated with these civil penalties involved the high-pressure, 8-inch transmission pipeline lateral located between Carson City and Incline Village that serves all of Incline Village and North Tahoe. The stipulations stated that while this damage could have resulted in 38,000 customers losing service, the incident did not result in any significant interruption of services.

According to the stipulations, Great Basin received a $40,000 fine for violations regarding incorrect marking of subsurface facilities in response to an excavation ticket. Aspen was fined $6,000 for failing to obtain a valid “One Call” ticket prior to excavation.

Although the pipeline that was damaged is an interstate pipeline and under the authority of the Pipeline Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), protection of the pipeline from excavation is subject to the jurisdiction of Nevada’s Call Before You Dig law and the PUCN.

“This excavation damage had the potential of causing widespread customer outages just as the onset of winter was occurring. Nevada has one of the most effective damage prevention laws and programs in the country. Holding both operators and excavators accountable when incidents occur, so they look at their practices and procedures to ensure improvements going forward, is very important,” said Paul Maguire, PUCN Regulatory Engineering manager.

State regulations require contractors to obtain a dig ticket if using mechanical equipment or hand tools. Non-contractors also always need a dig ticket if excavating with mechanical equipment or digging more than 12 inches deep with hand tools. However, it is good practice for everyone to call for a free dig ticket whenever excavating regardless of depth.

Every few minutes in the United States, an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. In Nevada, about one underground gas line is damaged every day. Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines, and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires a call to 811 to avoid inconvenient outages. With summer being a peak time to work on home improvement projects, it’s timelier than ever that residents remember to dig safely.

Homeowners and professional contractors alike are reminded to use the free 811 service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line. Contacting 811 is really the only way to know which utility facilities are buried in your area so that you dig safely.

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to USA North, Nevada’s 811 call center. USA North notifies the appropriate utility companies of the homeowner’s or contractor’s intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested dig site at no cost to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, paint, or both.

The depth of utility lines can vary for several reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects, and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists even when digging only a few inches or digging in a location that’s been marked previously.

When natural gas pipelines have been damaged and natural gas is escaping, the following steps are the most important to take:

• Immediately cease work;
• Evacuate the affected area to minimize the hazard presented by the damaged pipeline;
• Telephone emergency 911 services from a safe area; and
• Contact the utility operator.

Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 455.140 and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 455.160 require excavators to follow the steps outlined above and not attempt to operate any valve or other device owned by a utility.

For more information about safe digging procedures, please visit http://www.call811.com, http://www.usanorth811.org, or puc.nv.gov