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(a) No person shall make or begin any excavation or demolition without first notifying the notification center for that area at least forty-eight hours but no more than ten days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal State and national holidays, prior to the commencement of the proposed excavation or demolition, or within such time as agreed upon in writing at any preconstruction meeting. Notice to the notification center shall be deemed to be notice to each operator who is a member of that notification center. When an operator requests a person to perform work with less than forty-eight hours notice, the operator shall be required to meet the notification requirements of this section.
(b) Notification as provided in subsection (a) hereof shall be valid for ten working days and may be extended for an additional ten working-day period upon request to the operator at least forty- eight hours prior to expiration of the original ten working-day period.
(c) Every notice served by any person on a notification center shall contain the following information:
(1) The contractor's name and telephone number;
(2) The name of the person for whom the proposed work is being done;
(3) The date and approximate time work is to commence;
(4) The location and approximate depth of proposed work;
(5) The nature and extent of work to be done;
(6) The contractor's field representative or field contact, and field telephone number, if available; and
(7) Any special remarks.
(d) The telephone number(s) to be utilized for serving notice to operators as required in subsection (a) hereof shall be located on the approved site plan, subdivision plan, or engineering plan which is to be at the site during excavation or demolition as required in Section 1024.09(c).
(e) In the event of ongoing excavation or demolition, notification by a contractor as provided in subsection (b) hereof shall be required every ten working days as long as said excavation or demolition is continuous and all markings of underground utility lines remain clearly visible, as provided in Section 1024.10(b).
(f) After giving notice required by this section, if no notice or marking has been made as provided in Section 1024.10, the person shall not begin any excavation or demolition until three hours after an additional notification to the operator.
(Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(a) Verification that rough grading is to within six inches of finished grade must be provided to the operator in writing by the contractor or property owner before such operator shall commence excavation for the installing of his or her utility lines.
(b) When excavation approaches within two feet of the location of any existing utility line(s), which shall have been previously located horizontally as provided in Section 1024.10(a), the exact location of such existing utility line(s) must be determined by adequately exposing the same by hand digging within the proposed horizontal or vertical limits of excavation before excavation may resume. To prevent damage to such exposed existing utility lines, or the protective coating thereof, proper support shall be provided where required.
(c) Any contractor performing excavation or demolition is required to have an approved site plan, subdivision plan or engineering plan indicating the plan view of all known existing and proposed utility lines at the site during excavation or demolition.
(d) Any contractor performing excavation or demolition should designate the proposed limits of such excavation or demolition by white lining the affected area.
(e) Any person who is designated to operate mechanized equipment for the purpose of excavation or demolition shall not perform such excavation or demolition until he or she has examined the plan(s) provided in subsection (c) hereof.
(f) The act of obtaining information as required by this chapter shall not excuse any person making any excavation or demolition from doing so in a careful and prudent manner nor shall it excuse such person from liability for any damage resulting from his or her negligence.
(Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(1) At least one hour prior to the commencement of the proposed excavation, horizontally locating its utility lines at the site, and notifying the contractor that this marking has been accomplished; or
(2) Notifying the contractor that the proposed excavation will not affect its existing utility lines. (Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(b) Horizontal location of utility lines at the site of excavation shall consist of a permanent marking system approved by the Office of Pipeline Safety of the U.S. Department of Transportation, or the State Corporation Commission of Virginia, or a temporary marking system approved by the Director of Building and Development, clearly and definitely indicating the horizontal location of the operator's facilities.
(Ord. 91-23. Passed 9-17-91.)
(c) In order to expedite horizontal location of utility lines, each operator shall:
(1) Provide locating services to mark all facilities affected by the excavation;
(2) Provide to designing engineers horizontal location data on its utility lines prior to field survey for designing new work so that such information on existing utility lines may be included in survey notes;
(3) Have the option to allow the locating crew of another operator to horizontally locate said facilities, provided that clearance to do so has been given in writing; and
(4) Indicate the horizontal location of their utility lines on a site map if requested by the contractor.
(d) When trenches excavated for the installation of gas pipelines are backfilled, a continuous tape, or similarly effective device, shall be installed above all direct burial plastic mains, services, stubs and stub extensions. The tape shall not be less than three inches wide, brilliant in color and imprinted with words clearly defining the utility line as “GAS”. The tape shall be impregnated with metal so that locating equipment can readily pick it up. The remainder of the backfill shall be placed in a manner that equals the original condition.
(e) When repairs are made to underground gas pipelines, and/or the tape and related requirements as provided in subsection (d) hereof have been disrupted and severed during excavation, such tape shall be installed or replaced at the completion of repairs prior to backfilling.
(f) An operator who receives notification of a proposed demolition pursuant to Section 1024.08(a) shall insure clearance for demolition by:
(1) Disconnecting, or causing to be disconnected, as agreed upon by the operator and contractor, all of its utility lines to the structure to be demolished, as well as capping where necessary;
(2) Advising the contractor of the appropriate means of assuring adequate protection for its other utility lines in the vicinity which might be subject to unusual stress during demolition; and
(3) Notifying, or causing to be notified, the contractor that such disconnection has been accomplished or that his or her utility lines will not be affected by such demolition.
(g) If a utility line operator cannot mark the location of its underground lines at least one hour before the proposed excavation or demolition is scheduled to begin, the operator shall notify the contractor of the date and time when the line will be marked. This date shall not exceed three working days after the original scheduled work date. (Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(a) Communication between the job site and the contractor's base office shall be maintained at all times through the use of a two-way radio system or some other means approved by the Department of Building and Development.
(Ord. 91-23. Passed 9-17-91.)
(b) When any person damages a utility line or the protective coating thereof, or accidentally exposes or severs a utility line during excavation or demolition, an emergency condition shall be deemed to exist and the operator of such utility line shall be directly notified at that time.
(c) When any gas or flammable liquid utility line is severed, or damaged to the extent that there is escapement of its contents, a hazardous condition shall be deemed to exist and the operator of such utility line and the Emergency Communications Center (Dial “911") of Loudoun County shall be immediately notified.
(d) Contractors shall display in plain sight on the instrument or control panel or the dashboard of all trucks and mechanized equipment operated by them, the current telephone number which is to be utilized to serve hazardous-condition notice as required by subsection (c) hereof.
(e) The telephone numbers to be utilized in serving emergency-condition notice as required in subsection (b) hereof shall be located on the approved site plan, subdivision plan or engineering plan which is to be at the site during excavation or demolition as required by Section 1024.09(c).
(f) It shall be unlawful to backfill around a damaged utility line, as described in subsection (b) or (c) hereof until the operator of said utility line has been notified of such incident and has repaired the damage and/or has given clearance to backfill in writing.
(g) During an emergency or hazardous condition, it shall be lawful to excavate, without using blasting, if notification as required in subsection (b) or (c) hereof is given as soon as reasonably possible.
(Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(a) All operators shall make available on a twenty-four hour basis adequate emergency response crew(s), including answering personnel, radio dispatchers, appliance servicemen and utility repair crews capable of performing all work tasks necessary to cope with emergency or hazardous situations. The number of emergency work crews shall be determined by the operator based upon reasonable response time (one hour estimated time or arrival to the emergency scene during other than work hours) and the number and frequency of experiences recorded.
(b) All reports of hazardous and/or emergency conditions received by operators shall be reported immediately to the Emergency Communications Center (Dial “911") of Loudoun County and all reports of hazardous conditions received by the Emergency Communications Center, Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services of Loudoun County, shall be reported immediately to the appropriate operator.
(c) Emergency shut-off valves shall be provided for all new gas service installations such that:
(1) All gas services supplying inside meters shall be equipped with an outside shut- off at the curb or property line. Access shall be through a stop-cock box, the top of which is flush with the surrounding grade.
(2) Steel or copper services to outside meters shall be equipped with an outside shut-off as provided in paragraph (c)(1) hereof and an above ground shut-off at the meter.
(3) Plastic services to outside meters shall be equipped with an outside shut-off at the meter.
(d) The decision to shut off a utility line during a hazardous condition shall be jointly made by the Incident Commander, Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services and an authorized representative for the utility company concerned. If time and circumstances require, the decision may be made by either the Incident Commander or the authorized utility representative with immediate notification provided to the other and to the Emergency Communication Center, Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.
(e) Utility services interrupted under hazardous conditions, as referenced in subsection (d) hereof, may be restored by the authorized utility company representative only after investigation and verification of safety by the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.
(Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)
(a) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, by doing a prohibited act, failing to perform a required act, or failing to perform permitted acts in the prescribed manner, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be punishable by imprisonment not to exceed thirty days or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. Each day a violation of this chapter shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.
(b) If, during excavation or demolition, an underground utility line is damaged by any person who has failed to comply with any provision of this chapter, any permit(s) acquired through the County of Loudoun to perform work related to said excavation or demolition (including permits for building, grading, blasting, plumbing, electrical and/or mechanical work) may be revoked and any fees paid to the County for said permit(s) may be forfeited. In order to continue work, a new application for permit(s), if revoked, must be filed; plans of the proposed excavation or demolition must be re-examined; the located of all existing utility lines must be verified in writing by each operator having facilities in the area of proposed excavation or demolition; and new fees, if forfeited, must be paid.
(c) Any person who is convicted two or more times within a twelve-month period of violating any provision of this chapter which resulted in damage to any existing utility line, shall be subject to suspension or revocation of any license(s) or permit(s) issued by the County of Loudoun to perform related work for a period not to exceed twelve-months. Furthermore, no subsequent permits or licenses to perform said related work shall be issued to such convicted persons during that suspension or revocation period.
(d) The operator of a utility line shall notify the County of Loudoun of any action by a contractor that is deemed to be a violation of this chapter and that may result in a hazardous condition. Upon such notification, a representative of the County shall promptly inspect the work site and, if deemed necessary, require the contractor to stop work until compliance with this chapter is verified by the County or operator of the line. (Ord. 91-04. Passed 3-5-91.)