Page 3 - LA811 issue 2

from the desk of
Brent Saltzman
Spring is in the air and one cannot help but get excited about longer, sunny days ahead. Everywhere you go, folks are actively involved
in digging activities whether it be homeowners or professional excavators. That is exactly why we recognize and celebrate nationally - April-Safe Digging Month.
To kick things off, Governor John Bel Edwards signed a Safe Digging Month proclamation for the month of April. Having recognition of this is huge for our organization and our members and shows tremendous support from our governmental officials.
Ramping up our advertising campaign efforts was next. We initiated a statewide billboard and radio campaign spreading our safe digging message to thousands of Louisianians. Additionally, we sponsored baseball and softball games at Louisiana Tech, Tulane, ULL and ULM and had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch and distribute rally towels in team colors. We also teamed up with some of our industry partners such as Atmos and CenterPoint at various functions educating the public on why it is so important to contact
811. Several of these initiatives and more can be found in this issue, so I encourage you to see what we have done with our Advertising and Public Outreach dollars.
We have also been busy with legislation. The Dig Law Advisory Committee has been active as usual in helping strengthen our Dig Law. We currently have HB 292 that, as of this writing, has been passed by
the House Commerce Committee. This piece of legislation specifically touches on the need to pothole
to determine the actual location of certain types of underground utilities or facilities if an excavation or demolition could result in damage. It also clarifies that excavation or demolition activities shall commence not more than 120 hours (5 days) past the mark-by time.
If you would like to know more about our outreach efforts or legislation, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss further. As always, we are open to hearing your feedback as well.
Until next time, please continue to dig safely because someone is depending on you! God bless,
Brent Saltzman Executive Director Louisiana 811
2023, Issue 2
Louisiana 811
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