LaHood Praises AGC as a Valuable Partner
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Ray LaHood partnered with AGC to hold a press conference on the importance of underground damage prevention. This follows on the heels of an event in March where the Secretary kicked off National Safe Digging Month at CONEXPO-CON/AGG.
This event was held at AGC member company Skanska’s jobsite in the D.C. metro area, where Skanska offered LaHood a tour of the jobsite, and Washington Gas demonstrated utility locating tools. AGC CEO Steve Sandherr opened the event with the contractors’ point of view.
“Every day many of our 33,000 member firms are likely to begin excavations at projects like this,” Sandherr said. “Yet while this field is empty, there is no telling how many lines and the risks they pose lie beneath. Contractors have an obligation to call 811 before excavating a site like this. Utility firms have an obligation to identify and flag where their lines are. And all of us have a responsibility to dig safely so construction workers can get home to their families at the end of the day.”
Common Ground Alliance president Bob Kipp also spoke, praising AGC for its support and for the commitment of the professional excavation community to underground damage prevention. He cautioned the casual excavator to remember to call 811 for the safety of everyone. Secretary LaHood opened his remarks by praising AGC for being a top partner in its support for infrastructure, safety, and jobs. He stressed that safety is DOT’s top priority, and pipeline safety was no different. He further urged everyone doing any kind of digging to call 811 first, wait for locators to identify buried facilities, and dig with care.
For more information, contact Scott Berry at (703) 837-5321 or berrys@agc.org.