Color Code for Marking Underground Utilities

Color Code for Marking

Underground Utilities

www.gopherstateonecall.org

Area of Proposed Excavation

Temporary Survey Markings

Electric

Gas, Oil, Steam, Propane

Communication, CATV, Fiber

Water

Reclaimed Water, Irrigation

Sewer

WHITE

PINK

RED

YELLOW

ORANGE

BLUE

PURPLE

GREEN

(651)454-0002 - OR - (800)252-1166

GOPHER STATE ONE CALL 2017 Handbook

2017

Handbook

This time and every time

Gopher State One Call

www.gopherstateonecall.org

Gopher State One Call

1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 100

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

Contact Information

File locate requests by phone:

Emergency

Twin Cities Metro

Greater MN Area

Nationally

File locate requests online:

To contact Customer Support:

To order promotional materials:

For general billing information:

For facility operator notication area mapping

information:

866-640-3637

651-454-0002

800-252-1166

811

www.gsocsubmit.com

651-681-7326

[email protected]

651-454-8388

1-877-848-7472

www.gopherstateonecall.org

Chief Operations Ofcer

Barbara Cederberg

[email protected]

651-681-7307

Public Relations and Marketing

Estelle Richard

[email protected]

651-681-7303

GIS Coordinator (IMAP)

Jon Eardley and Jill Hayes

[email protected]

877-848-7472

Accounts Receivable

[email protected]

410-712-0082

GSOC Website Shortcuts

To le locate requests online:

To search for a ticket:

To positively respond to a ticket:

To update a ticket:

To cancel a ticket:

www. gsocsubmit.org

www.gsocsearch.org

www.gsocrespond.org

www.gsocupdate.org

www.gsoccancel.org

Gopher State One Call

www.facebook.com/gopherstateonecall

www.twitter.com/gopheronecall

www.gopherstateonecall.org

Visit gopherstateonecall.org for:

Placing a locate request

Training and technical resources

News and events

Much, much more!

The information contained in this manual does not have the force

of law and is only provided as guidance.

iii

Hours of Operation

GSOC can be contacted for all ticket types during the

following times:

April - October Monday - Friday, 6am - 6pm

November - March Monday - Friday, 7am - 5pm

IMPORTANT: Emergency calls are exempt from business

hours and are always accepted.

2017/2018 Holiday Schedule

Observed, Monday, Jan. 2, 2017

Monday, Jan. 16, 2017

Monday, Feb. 20, 2017

Monday, May 29, 2017

Tuesday, Jul. 4, 2017

Monday, Sep. 4, 2017

Observed, Friday, Nov. 10, 2017

Monday, Nov. 23, 2017

Friday, Nov. 24, 2017

Observed, Friday, Dec. 22, 2017

Monday, Dec. 25, 2017

Monday, Jan. 1, 2018

Monday, Feb. 19, 2018

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Presidents Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day

Friday After Thanksgiving

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

New Year’s Day

Presidents Day

Table of Contents

WHAT IS GSOC?

Gopher State One Call Responsibilities

HOW TO USE GSOC

Methods of Providing Information for

Locate Requests

The Process of Using GSOC

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

What is NOT Marked

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

FACILITY OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

TICKET TYPES

Types of Locate Requests

To Reprocess Tickets

Information Requested on a Locate

Ticket

MARKING INSTRUCTIONS

STATE LAW

MN RULES

OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY

NOTES

COLOR CODE

100

Back Cover

WHAT IS GSOC?

www.gopherstateonecall.org

WHO WE ARE

GSOC is the one-call notiﬁcation

system established to act as a

communication link between

underground facility operators,

homeowners, and excavators in

the State of Minnesota. GSOC

collects information from anyone

who is planning to excavate and transmits this

information to facility operators who may have

underground facilities near the excavation site.

After receiving a notice from GSOC, facility

operators mark the approximate location of an

underground facility with paint or ﬂags, respond

to the ticket electronically, or determine the work

area is clear. Facility operators may then provide

a response through GSOC’s Positive Response site

for anyone to view the results of the located

underground facilities.

Gopher State One Call

Responsibilities

Disclaimer: This handbook contains GSOC’s guidelines and views concerning best

practices in use of the notiﬁcation center and in maintaining safe excavation

practices. Care has been taken to make this handbook useful to as many users as

practical. Should any user notice an item believed to be inaccurate or creating

any discrepancy, the user is encouraged to contact GSOC and let us know. Only the

text of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 216D and Minnesota Rules, Chapter 7560 have

the force of law. Users are encouraged to consult with their attorney concerning

questions of interpretation or application of the law. Questions on the enforcement

of Chapter 216D and the Minnesota Rules may also be directed to the Minnesota

Ofﬁce of Pipeline Safety.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

WHAT IS GSOC?

GSOC, a non-proﬁt organization, was formed in

1987 in response to the legislature’s adoption

of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 216D. GSOC was

approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety

in 1988 as the state wide one call center and

has served in that role ever since. Chapter 216D

requires anyone who engages in any type of

excavation using machine-powered equipment

of any kind, or explosives, to ﬁle a locate

request at least 48 hours, excluding weekends

and holidays, before excavation can begin. An

excavator may notify GSOC up to 14 calendar

days prior to excavation. The cost of GSOC

services is paid by underground facility operators.

The service provided by GSOC to excavators is free

of charge.

WHAT GSOC DOES

• Acts as the statewide notiﬁcation center for

the State of Minnesota.

• Educates facility operators and excavators

about GSOC and Minnesota Statutes Chapter

216D.

• Develops and implements processes to allow

the communication between excavators,

GSOC, and facility operators.

• Maintains a database(s) of state wide maps

and facility operator underground facility

information.

WHAT IS GSOC?

www.gopherstateonecall.org

WHAT GSOC DOESN’T DO

• Physically locate and mark any underground

facilities. This is done by the facility operator

or their contract locator.

• Settle disputes and claims between excavators

and facility operators or between parties and

the regulator.

• Maintain a database of the exact location or

type of underground facilities.

• Handle facility billing, connection,

subscription, or other facility questions. These

matters are handled by the utility company or

other applicable facility operator.

• Maintain underground facilities in any way,

such as repairing damaged facilities or

tracking the depth of facilities. Please contact

the facility operator for any underground

facility questions.

Methods of Providing

Information for Locate Requests

FILE TICKETS ONLINE USING ITIC:

www.GSOCSUBMIT.org

ITIC is a full-featured,

web-based interface

providing user friendly access to enter and view

tickets 24-7. The Gopher State One Call ITIC

system allows you to map the entire worksite

using a visually-driven user interface.

ITIC allows you to:

• File locate requests via the internet 24/7.

• Save time with proﬁles. Create your own

template that will automatically ﬁll out the

ticket with information you use regularly.

• Receive email conﬁrmation of your ticket.

For mobile access, bookmark the URL

www.gsocsubmit.org on your smartphone or

tablet. A GSOC App is also available.

Remember: You are responsible for ensuring the

precision and accuracy of your locate request.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

HOW TO USE GSOC

www.gopherstateonecall.org

HOW TO USE GSOC

TELEPHONE

Locates: 651-454-0002

800-252-1166

Emergency Locates (24 hours a day): 866-640-3637

When can GSOC be Contacted?

April - October Monday - Friday, 6am - 6pm

November - March Monday - Friday, 7am - 5pm

Contact GSOC to process excavation, meet, and

non-excavation locate requests. Emergency locate

requests must be submitted by phone and may

be submitted 24 hours a day. Before contacting

GSOC, make sure all excavation information is

ready.

811

811 is another telephone

number available to contact

GSOC. 811 is helpful if you

are excavating outside of

Minnesota as it will help you

reach one-call centers in

neighboring states. To learn

more, visit www.call811.com.

Don’t assume you know what’s below. Protect

yourself and those around you. Use GSOC this

time and every time.

HOW TO USE GSOC

The

Process

for Safe Excavation

1) Excavator les locate

request 48 hours prior to

start of excavation, excluding

holidays and weekends

2) Gopher State

One Call processes

& submits locate

requests to facility

operators

4) Excavator digs

with care, avoiding

damages

3) Facility operators

mark excavation site or

advise if they are ‘clear’

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

(White markings for proposed

excavations are required by

Minnesota State Law

except when it

can be shown

that it is not

practical)

What is NOT Marked:

Private Underground Facilities,

Utilities, and Distribution Networks

Private underground facilities, such as private

utility lines and private distribution networks,

do not get marked by facility operators. When a

property owner or tenant has any type of

private underground facility, they are responsible

to locate those facilities or hire someone to

locate them.

For a visual explanation of private lines, see the

inside back cover.

Private underground facilities are found

everywhere, including single family homes,

farms, multi-family housing units, businesses,

industrial areas, mobile home courts, shopping

centers, and sometimes in the road right of way.

GSOC encourages owners and operators of private

underground facilities to include those facilities

on the GSOC system. However, most private

underground facilities are not listed with GSOC.

Unless the private facility owner participates in

GSOC, private or customer owned facilities will

not be notiﬁed and may not be marked. Therefore,

it is imperative that special precautions be taken

by excavators as part of every excavation project.

www.gopherstateonecall.org

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

If private facilities are suspected, the excavator

should:

• Physically inspect the jobsite prior to entering

a locate request or even bidding the job.

• Ask the property owner.

• See what equipment or power may serve

buildings.

• Contact the original installer of the facilities

for any records or maps of the lines.

• Excavate with caution and be aware of any

warning signs of underground facilities.

• Visit www.gopherstateonecall.org/contract-

locators-directory for information on private

locating companies.

If you are installing private facilities consider

doing the following:

• Prepare maps of any new facilities.

• Bury tracer wire with the new facilities.

• Use above ground markers or signs to indicate

the buried facilities.

• Visit www.gopherstateonecall.org/how-

gsoc-works/private-facility-intro for more

information about protecting private facilities.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

PLEASE NOTE: Facilities that run under or across

public road right of way or any other public right

of way are not “private facilities.” These facilities

are “underground facilities” within the meaning of

Minnesota Statute 216D and must be registered

with GSOC. Please contact Customer Support at

[email protected] if you

need information about registering with GSOC as a

facility owner.

PRIVATE FACILITIES can be used to convey many

different types of products. These products

fall into two broad categories: Energy Related

Facilities and Non-Energy Related.

Examples of Energy Related Private Facilities

• Fuel sources for Ag buildings or equipment

• Heating systems for pools or grills

• Electricity for out buildings or equipment

• Farm Taps

PROPANE

Propane facilities can be found in a

variety of applications in residential,

agricultural, and industrial settings.

In residential settings, propane may

be used to heat buildings, swimming

pools, grills, ﬁreplaces, appliances, and lighting.

In agricultural settings, propane may be a fuel

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

Natural Gas

source for multiple farm buildings, corn dryers,

and other equipment.

Commercial and industrial locations also rely on

propane for a fuel source. This can include a wide

variety of facilities from heating to standby or

offpeak backup facilities.

Visible indications of the use of propane at a

location are above ground or buried storage tanks.

A buried propane tank usually has an exposed

location with a ﬁtting for reﬁlling. Remember that

a single propane tank can provide fuel for multiple

buildings, mobile homes, single family homes,

cabins, or townhomes.

For more information

about propane, please

visit the Minnesota

Propane Association at

www.mnpropane.org.

NATURAL GAS

Private natural gas lines in

a residential setting may

provide fuel for a number

of different devices.

Among them are barbecue grills, pool heaters,

yard lights or heaters in outbuildings like sheds,

garages or barns.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

Farm Tap

Natural gas may be delivered to a “master meter”

at multi-resident properties, such as mobile home

courts, townhome, or apartment complexes.

Buried facilities carrying natural gas between

the master meter and units on the property are

usually private facilities. As a general rule, natural

gas providers will only mark underground gas lines

from the main to the meter.

Any appliance or device fueled by natural gas

that is on the “other side” of the meter is almost

invariably served by the private facility.

For more information about natural gas, please

visit the Blue Flame Association’s website at

www.blueﬂame.org.

FARM TAPS

Many landowners in Minnesota

are connected directly to natural

gas pipelines. Known as “farm

taps”, these connections may be

considered private gas lines. All

the equipment from the outlet

of the meter (usually, but not always, located near

the pipeline) to the house, corn dryer, milk house, or

barn belongs to the landowner. Many landowners may

not realize that they are entirely responsible for the

operation, maintenance, repair, and locating of these

underground gas line(s).

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

Farm taps support many farms, and as farms have

expanded, adding more houses and buildings to

the original farmstead, private lines attached

to a single tap have increased in number. These

private lines may cross a public right of way due

to new roads or easements. Unfortunately, little

to no documentation or maps of the original or

subsequently installed facilities may exist.

As the farm tap may not be evident from a visual

inspection, all landowners should speciﬁcally be

asked about the possible presence of these private

gas lines.

Excavators or landowners are encouraged to hire

a private line locator to mark the location of farm

tap lines. More information regarding farm taps

and a partial listing of Minnesota private locators

is available on our industry directory at

www.gopherstateonecall.org/private-facility-locators.

GSOC strongly recommends that speciﬁc questions

regarding farm taps be directed to the gas

provider or the Minnesota Ofﬁce of Pipeline Safety

dps.mn.gov/divisions/ops.

ELECTRICITY

Like natural gas, electric service may be supplied

to a “master meter” at multi-resident properties,

such as mobile home courts, townhomes, or

apartment complexes. Any line that connects the

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

“master meter” to another unit or device on that

property is a private facility and therefore not

marked by the facility operator.

Any property (residential or commercial) may also

have buried private electric lines serving power

to, among other things, yard lighting, power to

other areas of the property, pool heaters, or

pumps. Additionally, on residential properties or

farms, private lines may connect outbuildings

such as garages, sheds, or barns to a source of

power. Remember that the supplier of electricity

usually only marks the power line up to the

meter. If there is power in a garage or if a piece

of equipment or building is served by electricity,

make sure to look for a private electric line. If one

is present, have it professionally located before

excavating.

Although the meter set is often found at the

home or main building, in some areas it is located

on a pole or other point of

attachment. Red marks or ﬂags

leading up to a pole but not

going on to other buildings are

indicators that there are one

or more private facilities in the

area. Also, use care where a

property is served by overhead

lines that are buried after

they enter the property. In this

Electricity

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

situation, it may be that all underground electric

facilities are considered private at that location.

Examples of Non-Energy Related Private

Facilities:

Several other types of private buried facilities may

be found on private property that are non-energy

related facilities, but still need protection. These

types of private facilities can range from, but are

not limited to:

• Fiber optic lines

• Communications or phone lines

• Drain tile

• Irrigation lines

• Septic systems or waste collection lines

• Underground sprinkler systems

• Data communications cables

• Satellite dishes

• Invisible fences

• Low voltage landscape lighting

• Geothermal ground loops

Water, Sewer, Wells, and Septic Systems:

Most cities consider any water or sewer lines

that are connected to city services to be private

lines when extending from the right of way into

private property and therefore, any maintenance

or locating is the responsibility of the landowner.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

www.gopherstateonecall.org

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES

Wells and septic systems exclusively serving

a property are also considered to be private

facilities and again the landowner is responsible

for maintaining and locating the lines. A good

indication as to where these lines are buried can

be determined from where the lines leave the

main or tank and where they enter the building.

Geothermal Ground Loops: The land or property

owner should have a map of the buried ground

loops or know the contractor who installed the

loops. It is the responsibility of the property owner

to locate the loops or hire someone to locate

them.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SUSPECT I HAVE PRIVATE

FACILITIES IN THE AREA OF MY EXCAVATION?

GSOC suggests that you delay any excavating

until you have all private facilities identiﬁed and

professionally marked. When a property owner

or tenant has any type of private underground

facility, they are responsible to locate those

facilities or hire someone to locate them. The

contact information for a number of private

locating companies can be found on the industry

directory at Gopher State One Call’s website at

www.gopherstateonecall.org/private-facility-

locators.

Remember: Land owners, home owners, and

tenants, tell your excavator about any private

underground lines.

Excavator Responsibilities

As dened in Minnesota Statute 216D, an

“Excavator is a person who conducts excavation

in the state”.

PLANNING FOR YOUR EXCAVATION

You are required to use white markings to deﬁne

the entire area where excavation will occur, unless

it can be shown it is not practical. Include a safety

buffer when marking the area.

GSOC wants you, as the excavator, to have a very

safe and successful excavation process. We suggest

that you break your excavation down into multiple

tickets if that makes it easier either for you to

describe the work or for the locator to ﬁnd your

excavation site. For example, we would suggest

you follow the following guidelines:

• Limit your ticket to a contiguous excavation

area. Avoid the temptation to try to include

two different excavation areas on one ticket.

We suggest that even if the projects are

related or part of the same job that you break

them down into separate tickets.

• When working along a stretch of roadway,

ticket worksites must keep to 5 linear miles.

• When working within an area, ticket

worksites must not cross a roadway and must

keep to an area that is 5 miles in perimeter.

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

www.gopherstateonecall.org

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Use common sense when deﬁning your excavation

area. Even if it is a contiguous single project, a

ticket covering a mile, 250 trees, or 200 signposts

is not a good idea. You want to help the facility

operator know where you will be excavating. Make

the job easier by using white markings at each

excavation site and breaking down the work area

into segments that will be more understandable.

Also, think about the facility operator’s work

schedule. If the work will happen in stages, stage

your tickets so that your marks will be fresh when

you enter the area.

• GSOC reserves the right to put limits on ticket

excavation area size as situations come to its

attention.

• Remember you can contact GSOC up to 14

calendar days in advance.

• Prepare the information for your excavation

site prior to submitting a ticket to GSOC. For

example, when submitting a locate ticket,

you will be asked to give detailed marking

instructions for the speciﬁc area where

locates are needed. You may also be asked for

driving directions to the work site.

• If you fail to have this information before you

contact GSOC your request may be suspended

until you obtain complete information. To

prevent this, please plan ahead.

NOTIFYING GSOC

All Minnesota excavators, including homeowners

and farmers, are responsible for notifying GSOC

of their proposed excavations so facility operators

with underground facilities near the excavation

site can be informed of pending excavation.

Each excavator must have their own ticket.

GSOC reminds you that anyone excavating

in Minnesota must have their own one-call

ticket. If you are a subcontractor and you are

excavating, protect yourself and your company

by obtaining your own one-call ticket. The

general contractor’s ticket does not apply to

subcontractors.

You must contact GSOC to provide information

necessary to complete a locate ticket at least

48 hours (not including weekends and holidays)

before excavating. You may contact GSOC up to

14 calendar days prior to beginning excavation

to provide facility operators additional time to

mark the area of proposed excavation.

When your locate ticket is complete, you will be

given a ticket number. Keep this ticket number

to track which facility operators have responded

to your one-call request.

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

ALWAYS USE THE CORRECT WORK TYPE ON

YOUR TICKET: EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF WORK

If installing multiple facility types: select one as

your work type and then note all facility types in

the remarks sections.

Avoid the use of “Other-See Marking Instructions”

and select the most descriptive work type:

If installing a street light pole: Electric

If building a retaining wall: Landscaping

Anode

CATV Line

CATV Main

CATV/Service

Concrete

Sidewalk

Concrete Slab

Construction

Culvert

Deck

Ditch

Drain Tile

Driveway

Egress

Window

Electric Line/

Electric Main/

Electric Service

Fence

Fiber Line

Fiber Main

Fiber Service

Gas Line

Gas Main

Gas Service

Geothermal

Ground Loops

Landscaping

Mailbox

Manhole

New Home

Construction

Other – See

Remarks

Phone Line

Phone Main

Phone Service

Pipeline

Pole/Anchor

Real Estate Sign

Road

Construction

Septic

Sewer Line

Sewer Main

Sewer Service

Sign(s)

Site Grade

Soil Borings for

Testing

Sprinkler

System

Stump

Grinding/

Removal

Tent

Tree(s)

Water Line/

Water

Main/Water

Service

Well

If installing patio or pavers: Concrete Slab

If grinding or repairing asphalt: Road Construction

If installing invisible fence: Fence

If grading or skid steer work: Site Grade

If installing or removing sidewalks: Sidewalk

Any construction or remodeling: Construction

ALWAYS CHECK THE STATUS BEFORE YOU

EXCAVATE

Many people believe that by notifying GSOC of

intended excavation they have completed all of

their responsibilities in the one-call process. This

is not the case, notifying GSOC is only a step in

the process.

Please provide an email address when you ﬁle

a ticket with GSOC. GSOC will email you a

copy of your ticket. Please carefully review all

information on your ticket. It is important that

we have received and interpreted your ticket

information correctly. Pay particular attention to

similar sounding street names, and whether you

are physically located in a town or a township. If

there are any necessary changes to your ticket,

promptly contact GSOC. Depending on the nature

of your change you may need to either update or

cancel that ticket.

Your ticket also contains information on all

underground facility operators who have

requested to be notiﬁed of excavation in a

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

particular geographic area. Under Minnesota Law

an underground facility operator can respond to

a ticket in several ways. First, the underground

facility operator may either mark the underground

facilities in the ﬁeld, or place a clear/no conﬂict

ﬂag(s) in the ﬁeld. Alternatively, the underground

facility operator may respond through GSOC’s

positive response system.

GSOC’s positive response system is accessible to

you and we recommend that you review it prior to

commencing any excavation in the ﬁeld. You can

access the GSOC positive response information by

going to www.gsocsearch.org. Please remember

that an underground facility operator may

also mark or clear in the ﬁeld so the responses

in GSOC’s system may be supplemented by

information you observe in the ﬁeld.

If the facility operator cannot complete marking

of the excavation or boundary survey area before

the excavation or boundary survey start time

stated in the notice, the operator shall promptly

contact the excavator or land surveyor.

The following ticket responses are used in GSOC

positive responses:

Not Yet Responded – Facility operator has not

yet responded to the ticket. Please note that

the facility operator has not given clearance

to excavate if you see this response on a

ticket. Look for marks or clear ﬂags in the

ﬁeld. GSOC recommends that if you see this

on a ticket and do not ﬁnd marks or clear

ﬂags in the ﬁeld, that you contact the facility

operator directly to determine if it is safe for

you to excavate.

Clear/No Conﬂict – If this is reﬂected on the

ticket, the underground facility operator

has indicated that the area identiﬁed on the

ticket (but not any other area) is clear of

underground facilities. Please note when the

excavator marked the excavation area in

white paint, then only the area identied

in white paint is cleared and not the entire

address identied on the ticket.

Marked – This indicates that the area is marked

in the ﬁeld. Please conﬁrm that marks are

in fact in the ﬁeld and if missing, do not

excavate until the discrepancy is resolved.

Marking Will Be Delayed – This response is used

by underground facility operators when an

unexpected situation has been experienced

that will not allow the underground facility

operator to mark prior to the legal start date.

If this situation has not been resolved prior to

the legal start date do not start excavating.

Contact the facility operator and determine

why the facility has not either been cleared or

marked. Until the situation has been resolved

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

with the underground facility operator an

unsafe condition may exist in the ﬁeld.

Please note GSOC cannot resolve an issue

between an underground facility operator and

an excavator regarding marking or positive

response.

Not Complete/In Progress – This response is

used when the locator has begun the process

of locating underground facilities but that

process is not yet complete. It may be used

on an interim basis to indicate that some

markings are in place but others will be added

later. This response means that the locator has

not completed work and excavation should not

begin.

Please note that prior to the legal start date of

a ticket that the underground facility operator

may, and frequently does, update or change

the status of the positive response listed with

GSOC. Furthermore, many facility operators have

multiple responses for a single ticket, and may list

different departments or underground facilities

operated by that same operator separately.

Therefore make sure that each underground

facility has been marked or cleared before you

commence any excavation.

GSOC recommends that you keep a copy of the

ticket in the ﬁeld and that all ﬁeld personnel are

familiar with the scope of work for which the

ticket was issued, the type of work it covers, and

the response status for each facility operator.

GSOC provides a variety of ways for an excavator

to view a ticket, even in remote locations.

CONDUCTING AN EXCAVATION

Remember: Always check for private facilities.

While working at the excavation site, have your

locate ticket with you. You can access your ticket

information anywhere you have mobile or web

access at www.gsocsearch.org.

If after you start excavating you determine that

your excavation will need to move beyond the

original area described in your ticket, you must

submit a new ticket for the expanded area.

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

During the course of excavating, it is the

excavator’s responsibility to inspect and support

all facilities that have been exposed. If during

your excavation, equipment comes in physical

contact with an underground facility, even if

there is no noticeable damage, you must stop

the excavation and contact the facility owner. If

damage occurs, it is the excavator’s responsibility

to immediately notify the facility owner directly.

This damage could include the pulling or kinking of

the facility or damage to the protective coating,

covering, or tracer wire.

The excavator is responsible for reasonably

protecting and preserving locate markings

until no longer required for proper and safe

excavation near the underground facilities.

If the excavator has reason to believe locate

markings are obliterated, obscured, missing, or

incorrect, the excavator must notify the facility

operator to refresh or remark the locate area.

The excavator can also contact GSOC to update

a valid ticket. It is important that all facilities be

marked or cleared prior to excavating.

EXCAVATING WITHIN A TOLERANCE ZONE

Excavators are required to maintain a minimum

horizontal (side to side) clearance of 2

feet (24”) between an unexposed facility and

the cutting edge or point of any power operated

excavating or earthmoving equipment.

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

For example: if the

markings indicate a

20” pipe is buried,

the hand dig zone

is 68” wide (24”

+ 20” + 24”).

If excavation

is required

within the hand

dig zone, the

excavation must

be performed

very carefully.

Consider the

use of vacuum excavation or hand tools. The

excavator is also responsible to excavate without

damage to the facility or undermining the lateral

support. Excavators are reminded that the depth

of an underground facility may vary due to

installation practices, changes in grade, frost,

erosion and other variables. Therefore, any depth

readings given by a locator, if given at all, are only

an estimation of the depth of the facility and the

excavator is still responsible to safely expose the

facility without damage.

HAND DIG WITH CARE

Minnesota Law requires the use of hand tools (or

vacuum excavation) when excavation will take

place within the Tolerance Zone. GSOC reminds

you to use care when you are excavating within

24” 24”

24”

20”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

LARGE PIPE OR MULTIPLE DUCTS

Hand Dig Hand Dig

TELEPHONE

GAS

24”

Hand Dig

24”

Hand Dig

24” 24”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

SMALL PIPE OR CABLE

TOLERANCE ZONE

20”

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

this “Hand-Dig Tolerance Zone.” Respect the

marks to protect yourself and the integrity of

underground facilities. GSOC accepts all locate

requests from excavators who plan on using only

hand tools.

GSOC also advises you that although hand tools

are exempt from the requirement to contact GSOC

before you excavate, it is highly recommended

for you to have underground facilities marked

even when using hand tools. The use of hand tools

may pose a threat to

you, others, and

underground

facilities.

Damages have

occurred to

underground

facilities

when working

with metal

objects that

are pounded or

screwed into

the ground,

even by hand.

For example, tent stakes, anchor bolts, form pins,

metal probes, survey stakes, hand augers, political

signs, and many other objects use sharp metal ends

capable of damaging underground facilities.

24” 24”

24”

20”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

LARGE PIPE OR MULTIPLE DUCTS

Hand Dig Hand Dig

TELEPHONE

GAS

24”

Hand Dig

24”

Hand Dig

24” 24”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

SMALL PIPE OR CABLE

TOLERANCE ZONE

20”

24” 24”

24”

20”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

LARGE PIPE OR MULTIPLE DUCTS

Hand Dig Hand Dig

TELEPHONE

GAS

24”

Hand Dig

24”

Hand Dig

24” 24”

LOCATION

TOLERANCE ZONE

Hand Dig

SMALL PIPE OR CABLE

TOLERANCE ZONE

20”

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

AGRICULTURAL EXCAVATION

GSOC asks anyone excavating on a farm or in other

agricultural settings to take extra precaution and

understand when they should ﬁle a locate request

with GSOC. You are conducting “excavation”

within the meaning of Minnesota Statutes 216D

whenever you disturb the soil by any mechanical

or hydraulic means. Two narrow exceptions may

apply in agricultural settings that carve out

situations where you do not need to contact GSOC:

• plowing, cultivating, planting, harvesting, and

similar operations in connection with growing

crops, trees, and shrubs, unless any of these

activities disturbs the soil to a depth of 18

inches or more;

• planting of windbreaks, shelterbelts, and tree

plantations, unless any of these activities

disturbs the soil to a depth of 18 inches or

more.

GSOC reminds you that anytime you use explosives

you must contact GSOC. You can also contact

GSOC any time, even if you are conducting hand

digging or an exempt activity.

In an agricultural setting the following types of

work are not exempt and require contacting

GSOC:

• Fencing

• Well drilling

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Burying a wire, pipe or anything else

• Digging a foundation

• Setting a pole

• Cultivating, plowing or any ﬁeld activity to a

depth greater than 18”

• Installing drain tile

• Installing or extending a farm tap

• Any contouring, grading or changing of the

land

• Installing soil monitoring probes to a depth

greater than 18”

In addition, please keep in mind that underground

facilities may be present on a farm or agricultural

property that are not located by underground

facility operators. These private facilities must be

located by either the owner of the property or the

party conducting the excavation.

WHEN DAMAGE OCCURS

Minnesota law requires that if damage occurs to

an underground facility or its protective coating

the excavator shall notify the operator promptly.

Damage is dened as any impact with the

underground facility. An excavator cannot make

an independent determination of if damage has

in fact occurred, that must be done only by the

facility operator.

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

In addition to notifying the underground facility

operator if damage occurs, excavators shall:

• If the damage results in the escape of any

ﬂammable, toxic, corrosive gas or liquid the

excavator must immediately notify 911.

• If the damage results in a situation that

endangers life, health or property the

excavator must also immediately notify 911.

• In either of these situations, the excavator

must also attempt to minimize the hazard

until emergency responders arrive and

complete their assessment of the situation.

That may require the excavator to secure the

scene or evacuate people from the hazard.

• As soon as practical, notify the underground

facility operator. Many underground facility

operators list phone numbers on their

permanent markers. Telephone numbers for

underground facility operators are also listed

on your GSOC ticket.

• Take pictures of the site if safe to do, so

that documentation is created for future

reference.

• GSOC suggests operators have emergency

training procedures in place for their ﬁeld

personnel for how to assess and respond to

emergency situations in the ﬁeld.

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EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

In all other situations the excavator must

determine whether the damage has resulted in

any risk to the public and take necessary action

until representative(s) from the underground

facility operator take control of the situation. The

law requires any repair may only be performed

by qualied personnel authorized by the

underground facility operator. The excavator

can never backﬁll or bury a damaged underground

facility.

An “emergency” is dened by Minnesota State

Statute 216D.01 subdivision 3 as “a condition

that poses a clear and immediate danger to life,

health or signicant loss of property.” Please

note that work-scheduling problems or customer

demands are not considered an emergency.

GSOC reminds you to call 911 whenever there

is a release of ﬂammable, toxic or corrosive gas

or liquid, or if a dangerous situation has been

created.

Examples of emergencies:

A. An unforeseen excavation necessary in

order to prevent a condition that poses clear

and immediate danger to life or health.

Emergency Excavations

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

B. An excavation required to repair a service

outage.

C. An excavation required in order to prevent

signicant and immediate property damage.

D. The repair of an existing unstable condition

which may result in an emergency.

Emergency locates should be given top priority

by utilities. An excavator must maintain

a continuously staffed telephone number

throughout the emergency.

Gopher State One Call reminds excavators that

upon receiving an immediate emergency notice,

the facility operator must contact the excavator

within one hour by telephone and is required

to visit the job site, locate and mark within

three hours of receiving the notice, unless the

circumstance dictates otherwise.

ABANDONED FACILITIES

Facility owners are required to maintain

maps, drawings, diagrams or other records

of any abandoned or out of service underground

facilities. It is the facility owner’s responsibility to

give the excavator any known information about

the abandoned facilities’ location.

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If the facility owner notiﬁes the excavator at the

job site that abandoned facilities exist, the above

symbol should be used, either painted on the

ground or on a locate ﬂag. The capital A inside

a circle represents abandoned facilities. The

symbol should be painted or put on a ﬂag in the

same APWA color as is required for marking the

underground facilities. For example, if this symbol

were found on a yellow ﬂag it would represent an

abandoned gas, oil or steam line.

Even though the facility may be abandoned, it

remains the property of the underground facility

operator. As an excavator, you may not remove

that abandoned facility from the ground without

prior permission from the facility operator.

When notiﬁed of abandoned facilities existing

in your proposed work site, gather as much

knowledge and information as you can about the

abandoned facility (i.e. type, size, color, material,

location, and possible depth).

EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

FACILITY OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

RESPONDING TO A LOCATE TICKET

After receiving an excavation locate ticket

the facility operator must locate underground

facilities prior to the legal excavation start date

and time on the ticket, unless it is otherwise

agreed or an on-site meet is requested. GSOC will

issue the start time requested by the excavator

as long as the time requested allows the facility

operator at least 48 hours (excluding weekends

and holidays) to do the following:

• Physically locate and mark the horizontal

location of underground facilities within the

excavation site according to the American

Public Works Association (APWA) color codes;

If the underground facilities at the excavation

site cannot be located prior to the legal start

date, contact the excavator.

• Immediate response emergency excavation

tickets are given top priority. Facility

members will contact the excavator

within one hour via the telephone, and if

underground facilities need to be marked, be

there within three hours.

Facility Operator

Responsibilities

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If excavation, demolition or weather conditions

change the locate marks and they are believed

to be obliterated, obscured, missing or incorrect,

the excavator shall notify the facility operator.

The GSOC notiﬁcation center may be re-contacted

to have the facility operator verify, refresh, or

remark the locate. It is important that all facilities

be marked or cleared prior to excavating.

FACILITY OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Facility Operator

Responsibilities

Positive Response

Guidelines for Marking

Underground Facilities

Abandoned Facilities

POSITIVE RESPONSE

Underground facility operators must respond to

every ticket they receive from GSOC, even if there

are no underground facilities in the excavation

area. Under Minnesota law a facility operator may

either respond in the ﬁeld or through GSOC. You

can view the response of facility operators using

the GSOC positive response system at:

www.gsocrespond.org. If the facility operator

cannot complete marking of the excavation or

boundary survey area before the excavation or

boundary survey start time stated in the notice,

the operator shall promptly contact the excavator

or land surveyor.

GUIDELINES FOR MARKING UNDERGROUND

FACILITIES

Underground facility operators should use the

recommended guidelines for uniform temporary

markings of underground facilities as approved by

the Common Ground Alliance

www.commongroundalliance.com when marking

the horizontal route of an underground facility.

The operator of an underground facility should

be indicated by initials or by name along with the

marks indicating the horizontal location of the

underground facility.

When known, the total number of lines within the

FACILITY OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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ground should be indicated. The number of lines

indicated should be based on the actual number

of physical lines. Multiple cables twisted together

to form a single facility, as in the case of electric

lines, would be considered one cable for a locate

purpose. If separated in the soil, they should be

considered separate facilities.

If a facility is in a duct bank or a duct structure, a

corridor marker may be used. The corridor marker

should indicate the approximate width of the

facility.

A marking resembling the capital letter “H” lying

on its side will indicate the corridor marker. Other

times the word “Duct” or “Conduit” is used.

When there is a strong likelihood that the marks

may be destroyed, the contractor may want to

request offset markings. Offsets are indicated

on a permanent surface or stakes and are placed

parallel to the facility. The offset should indicate

the distance from the offset to the facility and

should identify the facility owner and if necessary

the size of the facility.

The width of the facility must be indicated if it is

greater than 8 inches wide.

“Utility Name or Initials, 36”

FACILITY OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

ABANDONED FACILITIES

Facility owners are required to maintain maps,

drawings, diagrams or other records of an

underground facility that is abandoned or out-of-

service. It is the facility owner’s responsibility to

give the excavator any known information about

the abandoned facilities location.

Please refer to this manual under “Excavator

Information” for Abandoned Facilities Requirements.

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TICKET TYPES

Types of Locate

Requests

EXCAVATION TICKET TYPES

Locate Request (normal)

Emergency Locate

Meet Request

NON-EXCAVATION TICKET TYPES

Owner Inquiry

Non-Excavation Ticket

Engineering/Pre-Con Meet

Boundary Survey

TO REPROCESS TICKETS

Correction

Cancellation

Update

Excavation Ticket Types

LOCATE REQUEST (NORMAL)

Use this for standard excavation projects.

Locate requests are the most common type of

request processed at GSOC. This type of ticket

must be requested by the excavator at least 48

hours (excluding weekends and holidays) and

up to 14 calendar days from the planned start

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

of excavation. The ticket is valid for 14 calendar

days from the start date and time stated on

the ticket, unless the locate markings become

obscured or obliterated.

The excavator and operators can also make

arrangements to periodically verify or refresh the

marks, in which case the ticket is valid for up to

six months from start time stated on the notice.

EMERGENCY LOCATE

As dened by Minnesota Statute Chapter 216D.01

subdivision 3, emergency locates are used for

“a condition that poses a clear and immediate

danger of life or health, or signicant loss of

property.”

Note: GSOC does not determine whether

an emergency condition exists. If a ticket is

submitted to GSOC as an emergency we have no

choice but to process it as such.

When receiving an emergency notice, facility

operators will locate and mark the facility

unless otherwise agreed between the parties, or

contact the excavator at the continuously staffed

telephone number provided on the emergency

notice and conﬁrm that no underground facility

exists within the area of proposed excavation.

There are two types of emergency locates:

• Immediate Emergency

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TICKET TYPES

• Scheduled Emergency

Examples of Immediate Emergencies:

• An unforeseen excavation necessary in order

to prevent a condition that poses clear and

immediate danger to life or health.

• An excavation required in order to prevent

signiﬁcant and immediate property damage.

• The repair of an existing unstable condition

that may result in an emergency.

GSOC reminds you to ﬁrst call 911 whenever there

is a release of ﬂammable, toxic or corrosive gas

or liquid, or a dangerous situation is created.

Next, contact the facility operator involved in the

emergency, then contact GSOC.

Examples of Scheduled Emergencies:

• A leaking water main that will be ﬁxed the

next morning.

• A power pole being replaced the next day.

• A water well repair.

MEET REQUESTS

Use this ticket type to request the facility

operator to physically meet at the excavation

site.

A meet should only be requested when it is

difﬁcult to precisely deﬁne the location of the

excavation site in a routine locate request. The

use of white markings can often be used to avoid

the time and cost of a meet. Even if a meet is

ultimately necessary, the use of white markings is

required so that there is a clear understanding of

the work to be done in the ﬁeld, and its precise

location.

The Minnesota Rules in 7560.0350 sets forth the

requirements for a meet.

GSOC will ask additional questions of you including

the approximate location of the worksite. Please

note that the presence of a speciﬁc geographic

area on a ticket does not replace the need of the

operator or locator to attend the meet.

The information in the ticket may be only part

of the work, may not encompass all of the work

or may be missing other information provided to

operators and locators at the meet. Please attend

the meet and do not guess based solely on the

information set forth on the ticket.

The scheduling of a meet request does not mean

that the work site will be marked at the time of

the meet. When the meet time is requested, the

meet time must be at least 48 hours (excluding

weekends and holidays) after contacting GSOC.

The excavation start time must be at least

24 hours after the proposed meet date and

time (again excluding weekends and holidays).

For example, if you contact GSOC at 11am on

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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TICKET TYPES

Thursday (and the subsequent Monday is not a

holiday) the soonest the meet can occur (assuming

no need to reschedule) is 11am the following

Monday, and the excavation cannot begin before

11am on Tuesday.

Excavators are reminded that all meets are

tentative and subject to change. GSOC cannot

make binding appointments on behalf of facility

operators. If the facility operator or locator

cannot make the proposed meet time, it is

important that you provide a telephone number

that is staffed, so they may contact the excavator

to make other arrangements that work best for

each party.

GSOC will only schedule a tentative meet location

within the area for which excavation is proposed.

If the parties desire to physically meet in a

location outside the boundaries of the proposed

excavation, they are required to coordinate that

alternative location among themselves. All parties

are reminded to be at the meet on time.

GSOC encourages excavators to prepare prior to

the meet. At the meet, the excavator shall inform

the facility operators and locators of the precise

geographic location of the work (which must

be within the area described on the ticket),

the timetable, scope of work, and any other

information needed so that the facility operator

or locator can protect the underground facilities.

Excavators need to anticipate changes in the

job site, weather, or other conditions that may

change the direction or nature of the work and

communicate those changes so that the facility

operators and locators can adjust their protection

efforts.

MN Rule 7560 requires the excavator to maintain

written documentation of each meet. The rules

require that at a minimum this documentation

include:

• The date and time of each meet.

• The names, company afﬁliations and contact

information for each attendee at each meet.

• A diagram, sketch, or description of the

precise excavation locations, dates and times.

• Agreed schedule of any future meets or

communications.

GSOC recommends that this documentation

be started prior to the meet itself, so that the

written diagrams or sketches and timetable can

be handed out by the excavator at the start of the

meet.

Engineering drawings and other detailed

information is encouraged so that all parties

clearly understand the work site. Pictures taken

at the time of the meet, or of markings made

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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TICKET TYPES

after the meet, may be helpful as part of the

documentation process.

An excavator meet form has been developed to

assist in documenting the meet. The downloadable

form can be found at www.gopherstateonecall.

org/meet-documentation under Excavation

Services.

Non-Excavation Ticket Types

OWNER INQUIRY (INFORMATION) REQUEST

Use this request to obtain a list of facility

operators in an area when you do not intend to

excavate. No ticket is issued.

Owner inquiries are used to provide a list of

underground facility owners and contact phone

numbers to engineers, architects, surveyors,

planners, or a person soliciting bids or entering

into a contract for future excavation and who

does not require ﬁeld marks or a meeting at the

proposed job site. GSOC will provide contact

information and any special handling notes

supplied by the underground facility owner.

These owner inquiries are not released to facility

operators. No excavation can be conducted on

Owner Inquiry Information Requests.

NON-EXCAVATION TICKET

Use this type of ticket to request facility markings

onsite or a map of underground facilities during

the design phase.

MN State Statute 216D.04 subdivision 1(A) requires

contacting GSOC in many circumstances involving

contract bid proposals. The law refers to these as

“Plans for Excavation.” This ticket type is a way

for engineers, architects, surveyors, planners,

or any person soliciting bids or entering into

a contract for excavation to obtain the type,

size, and general location of the facilities. No

excavation whatsoever can be conducted on this

type of ticket.

Once the facility operator receives the Non-

Excavation Ticket, they must provide the

requested information within 15 working days.

Notiﬁcation can be provided by either performing:

1. An actual ﬁeld locate at the job site, and/or

2. Providing maps or diagrams of the facilities.

The information obtained from the affected

operators must be submitted with the ﬁnal

drawing used for the bid or contract and must

state the utility quality level of that information.

ENGINEERING/PRE-CON MEET TICKET

Use this type of ticket to meet with facility

operators during all design and preconstruction

phases of a project.

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

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TICKET TYPES

Engineering/Pre-Con Meet Tickets are used when

a person is required to comply with Minnesota

Statutes 216D.04 subdivision 1a (C) and (D) by

holding a design meeting at a proposed future

excavation site with potentially affected facility

operators in the area. A minimum of 15 working

days must be allowed by callers requesting

an Engineering/ Pre-Con Meeting. Facility

operators shall attend these meetings or make

other arrangements to provide information. No

excavation whatsoever can be conducted on this

type of ticket.

BOUNDARY SURVEY

If you are a licensed land surveyor, use this type

of ticket to request facility markings.

A boundary survey is another type of a

nonexcavation ticket processed by Gopher State

One Call. By law, underground facility operators

must respond to a Boundary Survey request within

96 hours. The facility operator must perform

an actual eld locate unless both parties agree

otherwise. No excavation whatsoever can be

conducted on this type of ticket.

To Reprocess Tickets

CORRECTION

Request a Correction to an existing ticket if you

need to correct minor information such as ﬁeld

contact name or phone number. Correction cannot

be used for changes to the street address of

work site and/or marking instructions. The ticket

number will not be changed.

CANCELLATION

Submit a Cancellation request for an existing

ticket if you no longer plan on performing the

excavation or need the ticket. If you have

provided your email address, you will receive a

copy of the cancelled ticket. The cancelled ticket

will have the same ticket number as the original

ticket and will be labeled Cancellation.

UPDATE

Submit an Update to an existing ticket if you want

to...

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

www.gopherstateonecall.org

1. Make changes to an existing ticket that

include changes to the street address of the

work site and/or marking instructions. You

must notify GSOC at least 48 hours (excluding

weekends and holidays) before any type of

excavation can begin. This updated ticket will

be labeled with the appropriate ticket type,

such as Normal, Meet, etc.

2. Extend the life of a ticket past 14 days. You

must notify GSOC at least 48 hours (excluding

weekends and holidays) before the expiration

date and time on the current ticket. You may

request new markings or state that no new

markings are needed. This updated ticket will

be labeled Update.

or...

3. Request to refresh the marks in the eld.

If the markings are not visible, or you have

reason to believe the markings are incorrect,

you must notify GSOC at least 48 hours

(excluding weekends and holidays) before any

type of excavation can begin. This updated

ticket will be labeled Update.

All Update tickets will be issued a new GSOC ticket

number and the original ticket number will be

included on the ticket for reference.

TICKET TYPES

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

Information Requested

on a Locate Ticket

Below are brief explanations of the information

that you will be required to provide when

processing a locate ticket.

All identiﬁed information is also made available

to facility operators, excavators, and government

agencies. This is not private information and no

expectation of conﬁdentially or privacy shall be

assumed.

1. Telephone Number

2. Name and Company Name – Provide GSOC

with your name. Do not submit a ticket under

someone else’s name.

3. Mailing Address

4. E-mail Address

5. Alternate (Field) Contact Name and Phone

Number – Please provide the cellular

telephone number of the person to be

contacted during the excavation project.

6. Type of Work – The speciﬁc reason for the

TICKET INFORMATION

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work as compared to the work method. For

example, “installation of a sanitary sewer

lateral” is much more helpful than “digging a

sewer line.”

7. Work Being Done For – Your name, the

customer’s name, or the general contractor’s

name is sufﬁcient.

8. Duration – An estimate of how long you plan

on being at the job site. A locate ticket is

valid for 14 calendar days. If the duration

of the work will extend beyond 14 calendar

days, you must request an update on the

ticket at least 48 hours, excluding weekends

and holidays, prior to the expiration of the

14 day period (unless arrangements are made

with the affected operators to periodically

remark). If the project will exceed 6 months,

TICKET INFORMATION

651.454.0002 - OR - 800.252.1166

a new ticket must be sought prior to the

expiration of the 6 month period.

9. Explosives – GSOC must ask whether

explosives will be used in an effort to assist

gas and pipeline facility operators.

10. Tunneling & Boring – You must advise if you

will use any means of tunneling horizontally

without disturbing the ground above, also

known as trenchless construction.

11. Right of Way (ROW) – GSOC deﬁnes the

ROW as the area on, below, or above a public

roadway, highway, street, cartway, bicycle

lane, and public sidewalk in which the

government unit has an interest, including

other dedicated rights-of-way for travel

purposes and utility easements of government

units. Make sure you are familiar with the

ROW in the area you are working. Please note

that the ROW is not the same as an easement.

12. White Paint – Has the area been marked

with white paint or ﬂags, unless found to be

impractical?

13. Street Address of Work Site – Be careful to

accurately describe the following.

• County name

• City/Township name

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• Street address of the work site.

You must use the physical address of the

excavation site, not your mailing address.

“Blanket tickets” are not an acceptable

practice. If you are a subcontractor and you are

excavating, protect yourself and your company

by processing a ticket. The general contractors’

ticket does not apply to anyone except for

the general contractor. GSOC recommends

a homeowner not to obtain a ticket for an

excavator doing work on their behalf. The

Excavator should obtain its own ticket.

14. Nearest Intersecting Street – The nearest

intersecting street to the excavation site.

Provide the closest intersecting street, even if

it is not a major crossing.

15. Marking Instructions – Identiﬁes the speciﬁc

portion of the excavation site that needs to

be marked. Here are some examples of how to

effectively use marking instructions.

• Work keeping within (###) (feet, meters,

yards, miles) of (pre-marking: ﬂag, paint,

lath, etc.).

• Work area is located (describe property

orientation—front, back, side(s), inside/

outside fence, etc.).

• Please note: (dog onsite, gates locked,

TICKET INFORMATION

guard/restricted access, hazards, etc.).

• Additional information: (TRSQ, Map page

and grid, GPS coordinate, landmarks,

etc.). Avoid default to “mark entire lot”

unless the nature of the work requires this

designation.

• Please note: This does not relieve the

excavator from using white markings to

deﬁne the excavation site.

16. Driving Directions (if needed) – Describe

clearly how to get to the work site from a

known intersection.

• From (Cross Road) travel (N-S-E-W) for

(###) (feet, meters, yards, miles) on (Dig

Street) to the (location, Flag, Lath, etc.)

on the (N-S-E-W) side of the road.

• From (Dig Street) travel (N-S-E-W) for

(###) (feet, meters, yards, miles) on

(driveway, service/gravel/farm road) into

the property to (pre-marking).

17. GPS Coordinates – Provide the GPS points of

the excavation site. Please identify if the GPS

coordinates, if available, represent the center

or four corners of location.

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TICKET INFORMATION

18. Township, Range, Section and Quarter

Section – Provide the TRSQ numbers of the

excavation site if available. This information

can be found on GSOC’s ITIC website:

www.gsocsubmit.org or on most property tax

statements from your county. To provide TRSQ

information, indicate the township, range,

and section by their numeric designations and

quarter sections by their directional qualiﬁer

(NE, NW, SE, and SW).

Example TRSQ: Township: 108N Range: 28W

Section: 12-NE

MARKING INSTRUCTIONS

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Preparing Marking

Instructions

EXCAVATION SITE DESCRIPTION

After identifying the location (address and

corresponding driving directions) of the excavation

site, you will be required to identify the portion

of the excavation site that is to be marked. The

marking instructions section of the ticket allows

you to convey important information to the

facility operator so that they understand your job

site. Think ahead about how best to describe any

speciﬁc needs or situations that a facility operator

or locator may need to know. In identifying

this area, the following guidelines should be

considered:

1. Use North, South, East, and West rather than

left or right.

2. If the excavation is in the roadway, marking

instructions could include: mark from

centerline of road to the (North, South, East,

West) (lot line, curb or right of way) and

designate footage to the ending point.

3. Mark 30’ radius of white stake at job site.

4. Mark in the rear of the property along alley.

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5. Mark from pedestal going east along white

painted route for 120-ft. by 5-ft. wide path.

Ending at stake with white ribbon.

6. Avoid using “mark entire lot” unless that is in

fact what you need done.

MARKING INSTRUCTIONS

As Amended August, 2004

216D.01 - DEFINITIONS

Subdivision 1 – Applicability.

The deﬁnitions in this section apply to sections

216D.01 to 216D.07.

Subdivision 1A – Commissioner.

“Commissioner” means the commissioner of

public safety.

Subdivision 1B – Boundary Survey.

“Boundary survey” means a survey made to

establish or to reestablish a boundary line on the

ground or to obtain data for preparing a map or

plat showing boundary lines.

Subdivision 2 – Damage.

(1) the substantial weakening of structural or

lateral support of an underground facility;

(2) penetration, impairment, or destruction of

Minnesota State Law Chapter 216 D

One Call Excavation

Notice System

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Note: When a number, represented by text or

numerals, and the corresponding description is

highlighted in bold and underlined, it is for ease of

reading and is not in the original Statute or Rule.

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any underground protective coating, housing, or

other protective device; or

(3) impact with or the partial or complete

severance of an underground facility to the

extent that the facility operator determines that

repairs are required.

Subdivision 3 – Emergency.

“Emergency” means a condition that poses a

clear and immediate danger to life or health, or

a signiﬁcant loss of property.

Subdivision 4 – Emergency Responder.

“Emergency responder” means a ﬁre department

or company, a law enforcement ofﬁcial or

ofﬁce, an ambulance or other emergency

rescue service, or the Division of Emergency

Management created by section 12.04,

subdivision 1.

Subdivision 5 – Excavation.

“Excavation” means an activity that moves,

removes, or otherwise disturbs the soil by use

of a motor, engine, hydraulic or pneumatically

powered tool, or machine-powered equipment

of any kind, or by explosives. Excavation does

not include:

(1) the extraction of minerals;

(2) the opening of a grave in a cemetery;

(3) normal maintenance of roads and streets if

the maintenance does not change the original

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grade and does not involve the road ditch;

(4) plowing, cultivating, planting, harvesting,

and similar operations in connection with

growing crops, trees, and shrubs, unless any of

these activities disturbs the soil to a depth of

18 inches or more;

(5) gardening unless it disturbs the soil to a

depth of 12 inches or more; or

(6) planting of windbreaks, shelterbelts, and

tree plantations, unless any of these activities

disturbs the soil to a depth of 18 inches or

more.

Subdivision 6 – Excavator.

“Excavator” means a person who conducts

excavation in the state.

Subdivision 6A – Land Surveyor.

“Land surveyor” means a person licensed to

practice land surveying under sections 326.02 to

326.15.

Subdivision 7 – Local Governmental Unit.

“Local governmental unit” means a county,

town, or statutory or home rule charter city.

Subdivision 8 – Notication Center.

“Notiﬁcation center” means a center that

receives notice from excavators of planned

excavation or other requests for location and

transmits this notice to participating operators.

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Subdivision 9 – Operator.

“Operator” means a person who owns or

operates an underground facility. A person is

not considered an operator solely because the

person is an owner or tenant of real property

where underground facilities are located if the

underground facilities are used exclusively to

furnish services or commodities on that property,

unless the person is the state, a state agency, or

a local governmental unit.

Subdivision 10 – Person.

“Person” means the state, a public agency,

a local governmental unit, an individual,

corporation, partnership, association, or other

business or public entity or a trustee, receiver,

assignee, or personal representative of any of

them.

Subdivision 11 – Underground Facility.

“Underground facility” means an underground

line, facility, system, and its appurtenances used

to produce, store, convey, transmit, or distribute

communications, data, electricity, power, heat,

gas, oil, petroleum products, water including

storm water, steam, sewage, and other similar

substances.

Subdivision. 12 – Utility Quality Level.

“Utility quality level” means a professional

opinion about the quality and reliability of

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utility information. There are four levels of

utility quality information, ranging from the

most precise and reliable, level A, to the least

precise and reliable, level D. The utility quality

level must be determined in accordance with

guidelines established by the Construction

Institute of the American Society of Civil

Engineers in document CI/ASCE 38-02 entitled

“Standard Guidelines for the Collection and

Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data.”

216D.02 NOTICE TO EXCAVATOR OR

OPERATOR

Subdivision 1 – Display And Distribution.

Local governmental units that issue permits

for an activity involving excavation must

continuously display an excavator’s and

operator’s notice at the location where permits

are applied for and obtained. An excavator and

operator’s notice and a copy of sections 216D.03

to 216D.07 must be furnished to each person

obtaining a permit for excavation.

Subdivision 2 – Form.

The notiﬁcation center shall prescribe an

excavator and operator’s notice. The notice

must inform excavators and operators of their

obligations to comply with sections 216D.03

to 216D.07. The center shall furnish to local

governmental units:

(1) a copy of the notice and sections 216D.03 to

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216D.07 in a form suitable for photocopying;

(2) a copy of the display and distribution

requirements under subdivision 1; and

(3) the telephone number and mailing address of

the notiﬁcation center.

216D.03 NOTIFICATION CENTER

Subdivision 1 – Participation.

An operator shall participate in and share in

the costs of one statewide notiﬁcation center

operated by a vendor selected under subdivision

Subdivision 2 – Establishment Of Notication

Center; Rules.

(a) The notiﬁcation center services must be

provided by a nonproﬁt corporation approved

in writing by the commissioner. The nonproﬁt

corporation must be governed by a board of

directors of up to 20 members, one of whom

is the director of the Ofﬁce of Pipeline Safety.

The other board members must represent and

be elected by operators, excavators, and other

persons eligible to participate in the center. In

deciding to approve a nonproﬁt corporation, the

commissioner shall consider whether it meets the

requirements of this paragraph and whether it

demonstrates that it has the ability to contract

for and implement the notiﬁcation center

service.

(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules:

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(1) establishing a notiﬁcation process and

competitive bidding procedure for selecting a

vendor to provide the notiﬁcation service;

(2) governing the operating procedures and

technology needed for a statewide notiﬁcation

center; and

(3) setting forth the method for assessing the

cost of the service among operators.

provide the notiﬁcation center service. The

commissioner may advertise for bids as provided

in section 16C.06, subdivisions 1 and 2, and

base the selection of a vendor on best value as

provided in section 16C.06, subdivision 6. The

commissioner shall select and contract with

the vendor to provide the notiﬁcation center

service, but all costs of the center must be paid

by the operators. The commissioner may at

any time appoint a task force to advise on the

renewal of the contract or any other matter

involving the center’s operations.

(d) An operator may submit a bid and be

selected to contract to provide the notiﬁcation

center service under paragraph (a) or (c). The

commissioner shall annually review the services

provided by the nonproﬁt corporation approved

under paragraph (a) or the vendor selected

under paragraph (c).

Subdivision 3 – Cooperation With Local

Government.

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In establishing operating procedures and

technology for the statewide notiﬁcation center,

the board of directors or the commissioner must

work in cooperation with the League of Minnesota

Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties, and

the Township Ofﬁcers’ Association. The purpose

of this cooperation is to maximize the

participation of local governmental units that

issue permits for activities involving excavation

to assure that excavators receive notice of

and comply with the requirements of sections

216D.01 to 216D.07.

Subdivision 4 – Notice To Local Government.

The notiﬁcation center shall provide local

governmental units with a master list, by

county, of the operators in the county who are

participants in the notiﬁcation center, and the

telephone number and mailing address of the

notiﬁcation center.

216D.04 – EXCAVATION; LAND SURVEY.

Subdivision 1 – Notice Required; Contents.

(a) Except in an emergency, an excavator shall

and a land surveyor may contact the notiﬁcation

center and provide notice at least 48 hours,

excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays and

not more than 14 calendar days before beginning

any excavation or boundary survey. An excavation

or boundary survey begins, for purposes of this

requirement, the ﬁrst time excavation or a

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boundary survey occurs in an area that was not

previously identiﬁed by the excavator or land

surveyor in the notice.

(b) The notice may be oral or written, and must

contain the following information:

(1) the name of the individual providing the

notice;

(2) the precise location of the proposed area

of excavation or survey;

(3) the name, address, and telephone number

of the individual or individual’s company;

(4) the ﬁeld telephone number, if one is

available;

(5) the type and extent of the activity;

(6) whether or not the discharge of explosives

is anticipated

(7) the date and time when the excavation or

survey is to commence; and

(8) the estimated duration of the activity.

Subdivision 1A – Plans For Excavation.

(a) Any person, prior to soliciting bids or

entering into a contract for excavation, shall

provide a proposed notice to the notiﬁcation

center to obtain from the affected operators

of underground facilities the type, size, and

general location of underground facilities.

Affected operators shall provide the information

within 15 working days. An operator who

provides information to a person who is not a

unit of government may indicate any portions

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of the information which are proprietary and

may require the person to provide appropriate

conﬁdentiality protection. The information

obtained from affected operators must be

submitted on the ﬁnal drawing used for the bid

or contract and must depict the utility quality

level of that information. This information

must be updated not more than 90 days before

completion of the ﬁnal drawing used for the bid

or contract.

(b) This subdivision does not apply to bids and

contracts for:

(1) routine maintenance of underground

facilities or installation, maintenance, or repair

of service lines;

(2) excavation for operators of underground

facilities performed on a unit of work or similar

basis; or

(3) excavation for home construction and

projects by home owners.

existing underground facilities on its drawings

shall conduct one or more preliminary

design meetings during the design phase to

communicate the project design and coordinate

utility relocation. Affected facility operators

shall attend these meetings or make other

arrangements to provide information.

(d) A person required by this section to show

existing underground facilities on its drawings

shall conduct one or more preconstruction

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meetings to communicate the project design and

coordinate utility relocation. Affected facility

operators and contractors shall attend these

meetings or make other arrangements to provide

information.

(e) This subdivision does not affect the

obligation to provide a notice of excavation as

required under subdivision 1.

Subdivision 2 – Duties Of Notication Center;

Regarding Notice.

The notiﬁcation center shall assign an inquiry

identiﬁcation number to each notice and retain

a record of all notices received for at least six

years. The center shall immediately transmit

the information contained in a notice to every

operator that has an underground facility in the

area of the proposed excavation or boundary

survey.

Subdivision 3 – Locating Underground Facility;

Operator.

(a) Prior to the excavation start time on the

notice, an operator shall locate and mark or

otherwise provide the approximate horizontal

location of the underground facilities of

the operator and provide readily available

information regarding the operator’s abandoned

and out-of-service underground facilities as

shown on maps, drawings, diagrams, or other

records used in the operator’s normal course

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of business, without cost to the excavator. The

excavator shall determine the precise location

of the underground facility, without damage,

before excavating within two feet of the marked

location of the underground facility.

(b) Within 96 hours or the time speciﬁed in

the notice, whichever is later, after receiving a

notice for boundary survey from the notiﬁcation

center, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and

holidays, unless otherwise agreed to between

the land surveyor and operator, an operator

shall locate and mark or otherwise provide

the approximate horizontal location of the

underground facilities of the operator, without

cost to the land surveyor.

approximate horizontal location of the

underground facilities is a strip of land two feet

on either side of the underground facilities.

(d) Markers used to designate the approximate

location of underground facilities must follow the

current color code standard used by the American

Public Works Association.

(e) If the operator cannot complete marking of

the excavation or boundary survey area before

the excavation or boundary survey start time

stated in the notice, the operator shall promptly

contact the excavator or land surveyor.

(f) After December 31, 1998, operators shall

maintain maps, drawings, diagrams, or other

records of any underground facility abandoned or

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out-of-service after December 31, 1998.

(g) An operator or other person providing

information pursuant to this subdivision is not

responsible to any person, for any costs, claims,

or damages for information provided in good

faith regarding abandoned, out-of-service,

or private or customer-owned underground

facilities.

Subdivision 4 – Locating Underground Facility;

Excavator Or Land Surveyor.

(a) The excavator or land surveyor shall

determine the precise location of the

underground facility, without damage, before

excavating within two feet on either side of the

marked location of the underground facility.

(b) If the excavator or land surveyor cancels the

excavation or boundary survey, the excavator or

land surveyor shall cancel the notice through the

notiﬁcation center.

from the start time stated on the notice. If the

activity will continue after the expiration time,

then the person responsible for the activity shall

serve an additional notice at least 48 hours,

excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays,

before the expiration time of the original notice,

unless the excavator makes arrangements with

the operators affected to periodically verify or

refresh the marks, in which case the notice is

valid for six months from the start time stated

on the notice.

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(d) The excavator is responsible for reasonably

protecting and preserving the marks until no

longer required for proper and safe excavation

near the underground facility. If the excavator

has reason to believe the marks are obliterated,

obscured, missing, or incorrect, the excavator

shall notify the facility operator or notiﬁcation

center in order to have an operator verify or

refresh the marks.

216D.05 Precautions To Avoid Damage.

An excavator shall:

(1) plan the excavation to avoid damage to and

minimize interference with underground facilities

in and near the construction area;

(2) use white markings for proposed excavations

except where it can be shown that it is not

practical;

(3) maintain a clearance between an underground

facility and the cutting edge or point of any

mechanized equipment, considering the known

limit of control of the cutting edge or point to

avoid damage to the facility;

(4) provide support for underground facilities in

and near the construction area, including during

backﬁll operations, to protect the facilities; and

(5) conduct the excavation in a careful and

prudent manner.

216D.06 – DAMAGE TO FACILITY.

Subdivision 1 – Notice; Repair

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(a) If any damage occurs to an underground

facility or its protective covering, the excavator

shall notify the operator promptly. When the

operator receives a damage notice, the operator

shall promptly dispatch personnel to the damage

area to investigate. If the damage results in the

escape of any ﬂammable, toxic, or corrosive gas

or liquid or endangers life, health, or property,

the excavator responsible shall immediately

notify the operator and the 911 public safety

answering point, as deﬁned in section 403.02,

subdivision 19, and take immediate action to

protect the public and property. The excavator

shall also attempt to minimize the hazard

until arrival of the operator’s personnel or

until emergency responders have arrived and

completed their assessment. The 911 public

safety answering point shall maintain a response

plan for notiﬁcations generated by this section.

(b) An excavator shall delay backﬁlling in the

immediate area of the damaged underground

facilities until the damage has been investigated

by the operator, unless the operator authorizes

otherwise. The repair of damage must be

performed by the operator or by qualiﬁed

personnel authorized by the operator.

underground facility, and who does not notify

the operator as soon as reasonably possible or

who backﬁlls in violation of paragraph (b), is

guilty of a misdemeanor.

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Subdivision 2 – Cost Reimbursement.

(a) If an excavator damages an underground

facility, the excavator shall reimburse the

operator for the cost of necessary repairs, and

for a pipeline the cost of the product that was

being carried in the pipeline and was lost as a

direct result of the damage.

(b) Reimbursement is not required if the

damage to the underground facility was caused

by the sole negligence of the operator or the

operator failed to comply with section 216D.04,

subdivision 3.

Subdivision 3 – Prima Facie Evidence Of

Negligence.

It is prima facie evidence of the excavator’s

negligence in a civil court action if damage to

the underground facilities of an operator resulted

from excavation, and the excavator failed to give

an excavation notice under section 216D.04 or

provide support as required by section 216D.05.

216D.07 EFFECT ON LOCAL ORDINANCES.

(a) Sections 216D.01 to 216D.07 do not affect

or impair local ordinances, charters, or other

provisions of law requiring permits to be obtained

before excavating.

(b) A person with a permit for excavation from

the state or a public agency is subject to sections

216D.01 to 216D.07. The state or public agency

that issued a permit for excavation is not liable

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for the actions of an excavator who fails to

comply with sections 216D.01 to 216D.07.

216D.08 – CIVIL PENALTIES; PROCEEDS TO

SAFETY ACCOUNT; RULES.

Subdivision 1 – Penalties.

A person who is engaged in excavation for

remuneration or an operator other than an

operator subject to section 299F.59, subdivision

1, who violates sections 216D.01 to 216D.07

is subject to a civil penalty to be imposed by

the commissioner not to exceed $1,000 for

each violation per day of violation. An operator

subject to section 299F.59, subdivision 1,

who violates sections 216D.01 to 216D.07 is

subject to a civil penalty to be imposed under

section 299F.60. The district court may hear,

try, and determine actions commenced under

this section. Trials under this section must be

to the court sitting without a jury. If the ﬁne

exceeds the maximum limit for conciliation

court, the person appealing the ﬁne may request

the commissioner to conduct an administrative

hearing under chapter 14.

Subdivision 2 - Settlement.

The commissioner may negotiate a compromise

settlement of a civil penalty. In determining the

amount of the penalty, or the amount of the

compromise settlement, the commissioner shall

consider the appropriateness of the penalty to

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the size of the business of the person charged,

the gravity of the violation, and the good faith

of the person charged in attempting to achieve

compliance, after notiﬁcation of a violation.

Unless the commissioner chooses to proceed in

district court under subdivision 1, the contested

case and judicial review provisions of chapter 14

apply to the orders of the commissioner imposing

a penalty under sections 216D.01 to 216D.07. The

amount of the penalty, when ﬁnally determined,

may be deducted from sums owing by the state of

Minnesota to the person charged.

Subdivision 3 – Credited To Pipeline Safety

Account; Appropriation.

Penalties collected under this section must be

deposited in the state treasury and credited

to the pipeline safety account to be applied

to the reduction of expenses or costs assessed

by the commissioner against persons regulated

under this chapter. Penalties collected under

this section are annually appropriated to the

commissioner of public safety.

Subdivision 4 – Rules.

The commissioner shall adopt rules establishing

reasonable guidelines for imposing penalties.

The rules must provide for notice that a penalty

is assessed and may exempt activities from

penalties unless the excavator or operator as

deﬁned in this section has evidenced a course of

action in disregard of this chapter.

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216D.09 – INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.

Subdivision 1 – Jurisdiction.

The district courts of the state of Minnesota

have jurisdiction, subject to the provisions

of the statutes and the rules of practice and

procedure of the state of Minnesota relative to

civil actions in the district courts, to restrain

violations of sections 216D.01 to 216D.07, on

petition by the attorney general on behalf of

the state of Minnesota. When practicable, the

commissioner shall give notice to a person

against whom an action for injunctive relief

is contemplated and afford the person an

opportunity to present views and, except in the

case of a knowing and willful violation, shall

afford the person reasonable opportunity to

achieve compliance. However, the failure to

give the notice and afford an opportunity to

present views does not preclude the granting of

appropriate relief.

Subdivision 2 – Venue.

Actions under this section must be brought

in district court in the district where the

defendant’s principal place of business in the

state is located, and process in these cases may

be served in any other district in the state of

Minnesota where the defendant may be found

or in which the defendant is an inhabitant or

transacts business.

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As Amended October, 2005

7560.0100 – DEFINITIONS

Subpart 1. – Scope.

The terms used in this chapter have the meanings

given them. Terms not deﬁned in this part have

the meanings given them in Minnesota Statutes,

section 216D.01.

Subpart 1A. Abandoned Facility.

“Abandoned facility” means an underground

facility that is no longer in service and is

physically disconnected from a portion of the

operating facility that is in use or still carries

service. An abandoned facility has been deemed

abandoned by the operator.

Subpart 2. Director.

“Director” means the director of the Ofﬁce of

Pipeline Safety of the Minnesota Department of

Public Safety.

Subpart 3. Good Cause To Believe.

“Good cause to believe” means grounds put forth

in good faith that are not arbitrary, irrational,

Minnesota Rules Chapter 7560

Ofce of Pipeline Safety

Excavation Notice System

MN RULES

unreasonable, or irrelevant and that are based

on at least one of the following sources:

A. information from a person;

B. facts supplied by the notiﬁcation center

deﬁned in Minnesota Statutes, section

216D.01, subdivision 8;

C. facts of which the director or an agent of the

director has personal knowledge; and

D. information provided by excavators or

operators.

Subpart 4. Locate.

“Locate” means an operator’s markings of an

underground facility.

Subpart 5.

[Renumbered as subp 8]

Subpart 5A.

[Renumbered as subp 9]

Subpart 6.

[Renumbered as subp 11]

Subpart 7. Meet.

When used as a noun in this chapter,

“meet”refers to a meeting at the site of

proposed excavation requested at the time

of notice by the excavator with all affected

underground facility operators to further clarify

the precise geographic location of excavation,

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schedule locating, propose future contacts,

and share other information concerning the

excavation and facilities.

Subpart 8. Ofce.

“Ofﬁce” means the Ofﬁce of Pipeline Safety of

the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Subpart 9. Out-Of-Service Facility.

“Out-of-service facility” means an underground

facility that is no longer maintained and is

not intended for future use, but has not been

deemed abandoned. An out-of-service facility

may still be connected to a portion of the

operating facility that is in use or still carries

service.

Subpart 10. Public Right-Of-Way.

“Public right-of-way” means the area on, below,

or above a public roadway, highway, street,

cartway, bicycle lane, and sidewalk in which a

government unit has an interest, including other

rights-of-way dedicated for travel purposes and

utility easements of government units.

Subpart 11. Remuneration.

“Remuneration” means direct or indirect

compensation or consideration paid to the person

or the person’s agent, employer, employee,

subcontractor, or contractor. A person who

excavates as part of the person’s duties as an

MN RULES

employee, employer, agent, subcontractor,

or contractor is considered to be acting for

remuneration.

Subpart 12. Service Lateral.

“Service lateral” means an underground facility

that is used to transmit, distribute, or furnish

gas, electricity, communications, or water from

a common source to an end-use customer. A

service lateral is also an underground facility

that is used in the removal of wastewater from a

customer’s premises.

7560.0125 ABANDONED AND OUT-OF-

SERVICE FACILITIES.

Subpart 1. Duty Of Operators To Provide Readily

Available Information.

Operators shall provide readily available

information, as shown on maps, drawings,

diagrams, or other records used in the normal

course of business, on the approximate location

of abandoned and out-of-service facilities

to an excavator by the excavation date and

time noted on the excavation or location

notice unless otherwise agreed between the

excavator and the operator. An operator fulﬁlls

an obligation to provide information on these

facilities by doing one or more of the following:

A. locating and marking the approximate

location of the facility according to the

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current color code standard used by the

American Public Works Association, as required

in Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.04,

subdivision 3, with an abandoned or out-of-

service facility identiﬁed by an uppercase A

surrounded by a circle;

B. providing informational ﬂags at the area of

proposed excavation;

C. communicating information verbally; or

D. providing copies of maps, diagrams, or

records.

Subpart 2. Duty To Notify Operator.

An excavator shall notify the operator:

A. before moving, removing, or otherwise

altering a facility that is thought to be

abandoned or out of service; or

B. if damage to the facility occurs, pursuant

to Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.01,

subdivision 2.

Subpart 3. Verication Of Abandoned Or Out-Of-

Service Facility.

Upon receipt of notiﬁcation by an excavator

pursuant to subpart 2, an operator shall verify

that an underground facility is abandoned or out

of service, by either reference to installation

records, testing, or other comparable standard

of veriﬁcation, before an excavator is allowed to

move, remove, or otherwise alter an underground

facility.

MN RULES

Subpart 4. Liability.

An operator providing information pursuant to

Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.04, subdivision

3, is not responsible to any person for any costs,

claims, or damages for information provided

in good faith regarding abandoned and out-of-

service underground facilities.

7560.0150 PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY MAPPING

AND INSTALLATION.

Subpart 1. Duty Of Operator To Map.

After December 31, 2005, an operator shall

maintain a map, a diagram, a drawing, or

geospatial information regarding the location of

its underground facility within a public right-of-

way installed after that date.

Subpart 2. Duty To Install Locating Wire.

After December 31, 2005, an operator shall

install a locating wire or have an equally

effective means of marking the location of each

nonconductive underground facility within a

public right-of-way installed after that date.

This requirement does not apply when making

minor repairs to an existing nonconductive

facility. As applied to this chapter, “minor

repairs” means repairs to or partial replacement

of portions of existing service laterals located

within a public right-of-way for purposes of

routine maintenance and upkeep.

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7560.0200 [REPEALED, 24 SR 448]

7560.0225 EXCAVATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

REGARDING A LOCATE.

Subpart 1.

[Repealed, 29 SR 1503]

Subpart 2. Responsibility To Protect And

Preserve.

The excavator is responsible for reasonably

protecting and preserving a locate until no longer

required for proper and safe excavation near the

underground facility. If the excavator has reason

to believe a locate is obliterated, obscured,

missing, or incorrect, the excavator shall notify

the facility operator or notiﬁcation center in

order to have an operator verify, refresh, or re-

mark the locate.

Subpart 3. Use Of Locate.

A locate is valid for 14 days from the excavation

commencement time stated on the excavation

or location notice, unless the excavator has

made previous arrangements with the operators

affected to periodically verify, refresh, or re-

mark the locate.

7560.0250 LOCATE STANDARDS.

Subpart 1. Facility Locate.

Unless otherwise agreed to between the

MN RULES

excavator and operator, an operator shall

locate an underground facility using stakes,

ﬂags, paint, or other suitable materials in

varying combinations dependent upon the

surface. The locate must be in sufﬁcient detail

to clearly identify the approximate route of

the underground facility. The locate must also

include:

A. name, abbreviation, or logo of the operator

when more than one operator listed on the

notice uses the same color markings

B. width of the underground facility if it is

greater than eight inches; and

C. number of underground facilities if greater

than one.

Subpart 2. Operator Duties In No Conﬂict

Situation.

After December 31, 2005, an operator who

receives notice and determines that an

underground facility is not in conﬂict with the

proposed excavation shall complete one or more

of the following:

A. mark the area “NO” followed by the

operator’s name, abbreviation, or logo in the

color code of the underground facility not in

conﬂict;

B. place a clear plastic ﬂag at the area that:

(1) states “N/C” or “NO CONFLICT” in

lettering matching the color code of the

underground facility that is not in conﬂict; and

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(2) includes the operator’s name, abbreviation,

or logo, the date, a contact telephone number,

and the ticket number; or

C. contact the notiﬁcation center through

procedures required by the notiﬁcation center

and indicate that there are no underground

facilities in conﬂict with the proposed

excavation and that no markings or ﬂags were

left at the proposed excavation site.

Subpart 3. Placement Of Flags Or Markings.

If using N/C (no conﬂict) ﬂags or markings

pursuant to subpart 2, an operator shall place the

ﬂags or markings in a location that can be readily

observed by an excavator. When an area of

proposed excavation is delineated by the use of

white markings, an operator shall place the N/C

ﬂags or markings within, or as near as practicable

to, the delineated area.

Subpart 4. Duties Of Notication Center.

After December 31, 2005, the notiﬁcation center

shall make the information received under

subpart 2 available to the excavator before

the start date and time on the notice. The

notiﬁcation center may fulﬁll this requirement by

making the information accessible through one

or more Internet addresses, by transmitting the

information to a continuously working facsimile

machine maintained by the excavator, or by

other methodology developed by the notiﬁcation

MN RULES

center. The notiﬁcation center shall make

available the information received by operators

pursuant to this section through an electronic

means. The notiﬁcation center is not required by

this subpart to contact an excavator verbally via

telephone.

7560.0300 OPERATOR PARTICIPATES AND

SHARES COSTS.

An operator shall participate in and share the

costs of the one call excavation notice system by:

A. submitting the information required by the

notiﬁcation center to allow the center to

notify the operator of excavation activity;

B. updating the information provided to the

notiﬁcation center on a timely basis;

C. installing and paying for equipment

reasonably requested by the notiﬁcation

center to facilitate receipt of notice of

excavation from the center;

D. paying the costs charged by the notiﬁcation

center on a timely basis; and

E. receiving and responding to excavation

notices, including emergency notices, as

required by Minnesota Statutes, chapter

216D.

7560.0325 EMERGENCY EXCAVATION

NOTICES.

Subpart 1. Duty Of Excavator To Provide Notice.

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An excavator shall provide notice to the

notiﬁcation center before commencing an

emergency excavation, unless subpart 2 applies.

All emergency notices, regardless whether

made prior to excavation, must be verbal or in

a manner accepted by the notiﬁcation center.

In addition to the information required by the

notiﬁcation center, the notice must also contain:

A. a description of the situation requiring the

emergency excavation;

B. the precise location of the proposed area of

the emergency excavation;

C. at least one continuously staffed telephone

number where the excavator can be

contacted by the operator throughout the

emergency; and

D. the excavation start date and time if the

need for excavation is not immediate.

Subpart 2. Excavating Before Notice.

If an emergency is such that providing notice

or waiting for an operator would result in an

undue risk to life, health, or signiﬁcant loss of

property, the excavator may excavate without

providing prior notice or waiting for an operator

to mark an underground facility. In this situation,

the excavator shall provide notice as soon as

practicable and take all reasonable precautions

to avoid or minimize damage. Excavation prior

to notice under this subpart does not relieve an

excavator from any responsibility for damage to

MN RULES

an underground facility pursuant to Minnesota

Statutes, section 216D.06.

Subpart 3. Emergency Notice Requesting

Immediate Response.

Upon receiving an emergency excavation notice

requesting an immediate response, an operator

shall:

A. attempt to contact the excavator within one

hour at the telephone number provided in

subpart 1, item C, to provide any information

concerning facilities at or near the area of

excavation including an anticipated response

time; and

B. locate and mark the underground facility

within three hours of notice unless:

(1) otherwise agreed between the parties;

(2) the operator notiﬁes the excavator that

not locating does not present an immediate

danger to life or health, or a signiﬁcant loss of

property; or

(3) there is an event or situation that cannot

be reasonably anticipated or controlled by the

operator.

Subpart 4. Emergency Notice Requesting

Scheduled Response.

Upon receiving an emergency excavation notice

that does not require an immediate response,

and before the scheduled excavation start date

and time, an operator shall:

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A. locate and mark the underground facility,

unless otherwise agreed between the parties;

B. notify the excavator at the telephone number

provided in subpart 1, item C, that there is

not an underground facility within the area

of proposed excavation. For purposes of this

subpart, a requested start time of three hours

or less from the time notice is provided to

the center is considered an emergency notice

requesting immediate response under subpart

7560.0350 EXCAVATION NOTICE REQUESTING

MEET.

Subpart 1. Excavator Duties.

When requesting a meet through the notiﬁcation

center, an excavator must provide at least one

contact name and telephone number to assist in

facilitating the meet. An excavator shall contact

the notiﬁcation center to cancel or reschedule

the meet and the notiﬁcation center shall relay

this information to the affected operators.

When a meet is requested, an excavator’s notice

must include the entire geographic area of the

proposed excavation and the speciﬁc location of

the meet. This part does not relieve an excavator

from the duty to provide a precise geographic

location of the proposed area of excavation, or to

use white markings except where it can be shown

that to do so is not practical.

MN RULES

Subpart 2. Operator Duties.

When a meet is requested, an affected operator

shall make a reasonable effort to attend the

meet at the proposed date and time, or contact

the excavator before the meet and reschedule

for a mutually agreed date and time.

Subpart 3. Excavation Start Date And Time.

When a meet is requested, the meet date and

time must be at least 48 hours after notice is

provided, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and

holidays, and the excavation start date and time

must be at least 24 hours after the proposed

meet date and time speciﬁed on the notice,

excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

This subpart does not apply if these matters are

provided for in a written agreement with all

affected operators.

Subpart 4. Meet Request Documentation.

An excavator shall maintain written

documentation of each meet with an

underground facility operator or representative.

This documentation must be kept for the

duration of the excavation conducted under the

notice. The documentation must include:

A. the date and time of each meet;

B. the names, company afﬁliations, and contact

information of the attendees of each meet;

C. a diagram, sketch, or description of the

precise excavation locations, dates, and

times; and

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D. the agreed schedule of any future meets or

communications.

7560.0375 LOCATING A SERVICE LATERAL.

Subpart 1. Operator Duties.

Unless otherwise agreed, an underground facility

operator shall locate a service lateral before

the start date and time on the notice and in

accordance with items A through C:

A. An operator of a natural gas, propane, or

electric facility shall locate a service lateral up

to the meter or the connection to a customer’s

underground facility, whichever is closer to the

end-use customer. If the meter or connection

to the customer’s underground facility is

within a public right-of-way, at a minimum

the operator shall locate that portion of the

service lateral within the public right-of-way

up to the point where the service lateral ﬁrst

leaves the public right-of-way.

B. An operator of a communication facility shall

locate a service lateral up to the entry of the

ﬁrst building. If the service lateral does not

enter a building, the operator shall locate up

to the utilization equipment, fence, or wall

that surrounds the equipment.

C. After December 31, 2005, an operator of a

sewage or water facility, at a minimum, shall

locate that portion of the service lateral

within a public right-of-way installed after

that date up to the point where the service

MN RULES

lateral ﬁrst leaves the public right-of-way.

The operator shall either locate or provide

information as shown on maps, drawings,

diagrams, or other records, on the location

of a sewer or water service lateral installed

before January 1, 2006. If no information

is available on a sewer or water service

lateral installed before January 1, 2006, then

notifying the excavator that no information

exists fulﬁlls the requirements of this section.

Subpart 2. Exception.

An operator is not required to locate a service

lateral of a customer who currently participates

in the statewide notiﬁcation system, provided

the customer and operator mutually agree that

the customer will assume locate responsibilities.

The agreement must be in writing.

7560.0400 CITATIONS.

Subpart 1. Notice Of Violation.

The ofﬁce shall issue a notice of probable

violation when the ofﬁce has good cause to

believe a violation of Minnesota Statutes,

sections 216D.01 to 216D.09 or this chapter has

occurred.

Subpart 2. Contents Of Notice Of Violation.

A notice of violation must include:

A. a statement of the statute or rule allegedly

violated by the person and a description of

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the evidence on which the allegation is based;

B. notice of response options available to the

person cited;

C. notice that the person has 30 days in which to

respond;

D. notice that failure to respond within 30 days

precludes administrative review under this

chapter; and

E. if a civil penalty is proposed, the amount of

the proposed civil penalty and the maximum

civil penalty applicable under law.

Subpart 3. Receipt Of Notice.

The notice of violation is deemed received three

days after mailing to the person’s last known

address.

7560.0500 RESPONSE OPTIONS.

The person shall respond to the notice of

violation in the following way:

A. When the notice contains a proposed

compliance order, the person shall:

(1) agree to the proposed compliance order;

(2) request the execution of a consent order;

(3) object to the proposed compliance order

and submit written explanations, information,

or other materials in answer to the allegations

in the notice; or

(4) request the ofﬁce to initiate a hearing

under Minnesota Statutes, sections 14.50 to

14.69.

MN RULES

B. When the notice contains a proposed civil

penalty, the person shall:

(1) pay the penalty and close the case;

(2) submit an offer in compromise of the

proposed civil penalty;

(3) submit a written explanation, information,

or other material in answer to the allegations

or in mitigation of the proposed civil penalty;

(4) request the ofﬁce to initiate a hearing

under Minnesota Statutes, sections 14.50 to

14.69.

C. Failure to respond in writing within 30 days

precludes administrative review under this

chapter. A ﬁnal order will be issued and

penalties will be forwarded for collection.

7560.0600 DIRECTOR REVIEW.

If the person objects to the proposed civil

penalty or compliance order and submits written

explanations, information, or other materials

in response to a notice of violation, within the

time speciﬁed in part 7560.0500, the director

shall review the submissions and determine

whether to negotiate further, to change or

withdraw the notice of violation, or to initiate a

hearing under Minnesota Statutes, sections 14.50

to 14.69.

7560.0700 CONSENT ORDER.

An executed consent order must contain:

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A. an admission by the person of the jurisdictional

facts;

B. a waiver of further procedural steps and the

right to seek judicial or administrative review

or otherwise challenge or contest the validity

of the consent order; and

C. an agreement that the notice of violation may

be used to construe the terms of the consent

order.

7560.0800 CIVIL PENALTIES.

Subpart 1. Proceedings Against Excavators.

When the ofﬁce has good cause to believe that

an excavator is engaging or has engaged in

conduct that violates Minnesota Statutes, section

216D.04, subdivision 1, 2, or 3; 216D.05, clause

(1), (2), (3), or (4); or 216D.06, subdivision 1,

or a rule adopted under Minnesota Statutes,

section 216D.08, subdivision 4, the ofﬁce, if

appropriate, shall negotiate a civil penalty under

Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.08, subdivision

2. A penalty imposed under Minnesota Statutes,

section 216D.08, is subject to the contested

case and judicial review provisions of Minnesota

Statutes, chapter 14. An operator who engages

or has engaged in excavation that violates

Minnesota Statutes, chapter 216D, is subject

to the proceedings speciﬁed in subpart 2 and is

subject to the penalties speciﬁed in subpart 4,

item B or C.

MN RULES

Subpart 2. Proceedings Against Underground

Facility Operators.

The ofﬁce may negotiate a civil penalty under

item A or B.

A. When the ofﬁce has good cause to believe

that an underground facility operator,

other than an operator set forth in item

B, is engaging or has engaged in conduct

that violates Minnesota Statutes, sections

216D.01 to 216D.07, or a rule adopted

under Minnesota Statutes, section 216D.08,

subdivision 4, the ofﬁce, if appropriate, shall

negotiate a civil penalty under Minnesota

Statutes, section 216D.08, subdivision 2. A

penalty imposed under Minnesota Statutes,

section 216D.08, is subject to the contested

case and judicial review provisions of

Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14.

B. When the ofﬁce has good cause to believe

that an operator who engages in the

transportation of gas or hazardous liquids

or who owns or operates a gas or hazardous

liquid pipeline facility is engaging or has

engaged in conduct that violates Minnesota

Statutes, sections 299F.56 to 299F.641, or

a rule adopted under Minnesota Statutes,

section 299F.60, subdivision 5, the ofﬁce, if

appropriate, shall negotiate a civil penalty

under Minnesota Statutes, section 299F.60,

subdivision 2. A penalty imposed under

Minnesota Statutes, section 299F.60, is

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subject to the contested case and judicial

review provisions of Minnesota Statutes,

chapter 14.

Subpart 3. Assessment Considerations.

In assessing a civil penalty under this part, the

ofﬁce shall consider the following factors:

A. the nature, circumstances, and gravity of the

violation;

B. the degree of the person’s culpability;

C. the person’s history of previous offenses;

D. the person’s ability to pay;

E. good faith on the part of the person in

attempting to remedy the cause of the

violation;

F. the effect of the penalty on the person’s ability

to continue in business; and

G. past reports of damage to an underground

facility by a person.

Subpart 4. Maximum penalties.

For the purposes of this part, penalties imposed

under this part must not exceed the limits in

items A to C.

A. Penalties imposed against excavators must

not exceed $1,000 for each violation per day of

violation.

B. Penalties imposed against underground facility

operators, other than an operator set forth

in item C, must not exceed $1,000 for each

violation per day of violation.

MN RULES

C. Penalties imposed against an operator

who engages in the transportation of gas or

hazardous liquids or who owns or operates a

gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facility must

not exceed $10,000 for each violation for each

day that the violation persists, except that

the maximum civil penalty must not exceed

$500,000 for a related series of violations.

Subpart 5. Payment procedure.

The person shall pay a civil penalty that has

been proposed, assessed, or compromised

by submitting to the ofﬁce a check or money

order in the correct amount, payable to the

commissioner of public safety.

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OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY

Contact Information for Minnesota

Ofce of Pipeline Safety

ADDRESS:

MN Ofﬁce of Pipeline Safety

445 Minnesota Street

Suite 147

St. Paul, MN 55101

TELEPHONE:

Phone number ........................ 651-201-7230

State Duty Ofcer .................... 800-422-0798

WEB ADDRESS:

dps.mn.gov/divisions/ops

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NOTES

PRIVATE FACILITIES:

WHAT DOES NOT GET MARKED

Private underground

facilities, such as private

utility lines and private

distribution networks, do

not get marked by facility

operators. When a property

owner or tenant has any type

of private underground facility,

they are responsible to locate

those facilities or hire someone

to locate them.

ELECTRIC

GAS, OIL, AND

PROPANE

PHONE AND

CABLE

WATER

SEWER

Customer-owned lines usually include any that serve

outbuildings, hot tubs, security lighting, pools, and natural

gas grills.

The free locating service available through Gopher State One

Call (GSOC) applies ONLY to public facility operators. The

diagram below shows a variety of utilities, some owned by

the utility and some by the homeowner.

Those utilities marked by dotted lines are typically owned

by the property owner. Those lines will NOT be marked by

contacting GSOC. Private locating services will mark these

for a fee.

For information on private locating companies

www.gopherstateonecall.org/about-gsoc/industry-directory

DON’T FORGET!

After calling GSOC, wait 48

hours (excluding weekends

and holidays) before you

begin your excavation!

Remember to check for facility

operator responses.

ELECTRIC

GAS, OIL, AND

PROPANE

PHONE AND

CABLE

WATER

SEWER

Homeowner Property Line