Page 6 - Arkansas 811 Magazine 2022 Issue 3

811 Emergency Report
$61 Billion Lost to Waste, Inefficiency in System to Protect Underground Utilities
Introduction
The 811 Emergency Report has
created much discussion across
the country. In the previous issue, Arkansas 811 Magazines shared the national 811 Emergency Report and,
in this issue, attention will be given
to the report as it relates to Arkansas specifically.
The report was commissioned by a group identified as the Infrastructure Protection Coalition (IPC). The IPC is a coalition of industry groups
that represent regular users and stakeholders in the 811 system and
who want to see it run safely and efficiently. Members include the American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA); Distribution Contractors Association (DCA); National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA); Nulca – representing utility locating professionals; and Power
& Communications Contractors Association (PCCA).
This study was conducted by Continuum Capital. To learn more about Continuum, go to www. continuumcapital.net. To learn more about IPC and to access the full report go to www.ipcweb.org. ©2021 Infrastructure Protection Coalition.
Publisher’s note: I attended the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Conference in Anaheim and attended an excellent panel presentation facilitated by Mark Bridgers, Continuum Capital.
In that session, there were concerns from some of the 811 Center attendees that the report reflected poorly on the Centers themselves. John Fluharty, representing excavators on the CGA Board and serving on the panel stated that as an excavator, one thing was certain. The 811 Centers across the country were consistently the best ally the excavators had. That the intent
of the study was to focus on things that were beyond the control of the 811 Centers.
While there are clearly differences
of opinions as to the value of the report, there is no denying that folks are talking about the findings and recommendations. The report creates an interesting dynamic in that pipeline associations, distribution associations, utility contractors and utility locator associations joined together to fund
a study to reduce downtime for the excavators and frustrations and expense of calling in unnecessary locates. What is even more interesting to me is that all groups recognized fair and effective enforcement as part of the solution.
Arkansas Executive Summary
Arkansas is ranked in the 4th Quartile (Exhibit 1 - State Quartile Ranking) and overall, its current structure and process are not efficient or effective. A total of eight areas were used to rate and rank each state in order to place them into an overall quartile rank for performance. Arkansas performed in
State Quartile Ranking of 811 System Performance
This comprehensive, independent review of the nation’s 811 system – including an in-depth examination of its operations in every state, Washington, D.C., and the city of Chicago – shows that these costs and the increased risk to public safety could be substantially reduced if states with the worst records adopted more effective practices and procedures already in use in other parts of the country. Stakeholders, including utility and other asset owner/operators, locators, 811 system operators, and excavators, have strong opinions on which states are high performers in regard to their dig law, regulation, and 811 center operation and practice.
4 • Arkansas 811 Magazine 2022, Issue 3