SEC. 77-13-9. Marking location of underground facilities; timelinesss.

SECTION 5. Section 77-13-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is reenacted as follows:

77-13-9. (1) Every person owning or operating underground utility lines or underground facilities shall, upon receiving advance notice of the commencement of excavation, in accordance with Section 77-13-7, make an investigation, within two (2) working days from the time notice is provided in accordance with this act to the nonmember operator(s) or Mississippi One-Call System, Inc., to determine the approximate location of its underground utility lines or underground facilities in the area of the proposed excavation, and shall either: (a) mark the approximate location of underground utility lines and underground facilities in or near the area of the excavation, so as to enable the person engaged in excavation work to locate the lines and facilities in advance of and during the excavation work; or (b) advise in writing or by telephone or electronic means that it has no underground utility lines or underground facilities in the excavation area.

(2) In lieu of such marking, the operator may request to be present at the site upon commencement of the excavation, so long as the operator complies within two (2) working days of the receipt of the notice.

(3) When an excavator, upon arriving at an excavation site, sees evidence of unmarked underground utility lines or underground facilities or encounters an unmarked underground utility line or underground facility on an excavation site after excavation has commenced where notice of intent has been made in accordance with the provisions of this act, that excavator must immediately contact Mississippi One-Call System, Inc., and the nonmember operator(s). All operator(s) thus notified must contact the excavator within four (4) hours and inform the excavator of any of their known underground facilities, active or abandoned, at the site of the excavation.

(4) 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 act, namely:

UTILITY OR TYPE OF FACILITY GROUP IDENTIFYING COLOR

Electric Safety Red

Petroleum Product/Hazardous/

Flammable/Corrosive/Toxic

Materials, Product and Steam Lines,

Gas or Gaseous Material High Visibility Safety Yellow

Telecommunications

(including fiber optic) and CATV Safety Alert Orange

Water and Irrigation Safety Precaution Blue

Slurry Lines Safety Precaution Blue

Sewer and Drain Lines Safety Green

Temporary Survey Markings High Visibility Pink

Proposed Excavation White

SOURCE: 1997 Laws, Chapter 483, Sec. 4, HB1430, Effective July 1, 1997. The 1999 amendment reenacted this section without textual change and therefore the text was not reprinted to reflect this reenactment.