Public Service Commission chairman Brian Kalk says the PSC may ask the 2015 Legislature for a further strengthening of the state’s “call before you dig” law.
The law requires a contractor to call “811” to find out where underground utilities are in the areas they plan to dig. The 2013 Legislature raised the maximum fine for violating that law from $5000 to $25,000. But Kalk says in other states, the higher fine hasn’t proven to be an effective deterrent.
"One of the things we may be proposing is -- not so much the fine, but if we have bad actors, the PSC would have the ability to join with the Secretary of State and yank their contractors' licenses," Kalk told the Legislature's interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee. "We're finding that, in other states, the monetary fine, no matter how big you make it, doesn't seem to be a deterrent."
Kalk says other states are looking at similar laws.
