FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday,
April 23, 1998
Contact:
William Vincent or Patricia Klinger
Tel: (202) 366-4831
RSPA 09-98
SECRETARY
SLATER ANNOUNCES
$45,000 GRANT TO GEORGIA UPC
ATLANTA -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced a $45,000 Research and Special Programs Administration grant to the Georgia Utilities Protection Center (UPC), a national model for utility safety education programs, which provides statewide "one-call" information.
"The one-call system will protect the public and the environment by minimizing damage to underground facilities by outside forces," Secretary Slater said. " The effectiveness of the system hinges on its use -- people should call before digging -- and ‘one call’ makes it easy."
The UPC provides statewide "one-call" information concerning the approximate location of electric, gas, telephone, interstate pipeline systems, cable television and water and sewer lines to excavators involved with construction projects below ground or within 10 feet of overhead private or commercial electric lines above ground in order to prevent accidental line damage that could result in disruptions of service. The grant will be used to provide support for "one call" activities taking place at the utilities center.
When a work site is identified by a caller, the UPC issues notification tickets to all member utilities that may be affected by the work. Within 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, all member companies mark the areas where underground utilities are located and assess the site for overhead electric lines.
Georgia, along with Tennessee and Virginia, was selected by the Transportation Department’s Damage Prevention Quality Action Team (DAMQAT) to participate in this pilot program to address the leading cause of pipeline and telecommunications failures. Results of this pilot program will be used to develop models for use nationwide.
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