New bill will change underground locate system
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob
Bailey saw his private member’s bill Call
Before You Dig Act receive all-party
support during debate on Apr. 21, and pass unanimously through second reading
in the Legislative Assembly
of Ontario.
The next step on the legislative journey is an in-depth review in one of the
Assembly’s standing committees, before receiving a final third vote.
Dubbed Bill 180, if passed it will establish Ontario
One Call Ltd. as a not-for-profit call centre, a single point-of-contact for
all underground utility location services in Ontario.
The proposal is that all owners of
underground assets would be required to join the not-for-profit Ontario One
Call network, giving excavators access to a free, single point-of-contact for
comprehensive underground locate information. Some areas of the province have
experienced great delays in the system.
“I’m very happy that the other parties have seen the value in this important bill,”
said Bailey, following the vote. “This bill isn’t just about streamlining a
confusing system to make it easier to dig in your backyard; it’s about
preventing accidents and saving lives.”
Failing to locate underground and
overhead utilities prior to construction has led to property damage totaling
nearly $33 million each year. This represents a significant loss of revenue, as
well as productivity and efficiency for businesses of all sizes.
“A mandatory one-call system has
four major benefits,” said Paul Rietdyk, vice president of distribution
operations for Union Gas. “Most importantly, it reduces risk and will save
lives, it’s more cost-effective than a voluntary system, it’s business-friendly
in that it will improve productivity for excavators and it works effectively.
For instance, in the U.S., mandatory one call systems have been successfully
implemented in all 50 jurisdictions. In a four-year period, damages have
dropped by 70 per cent.”
