As folks in San Francisco can tell you, if it's underground, it can still kill you and a lot of others. Last year, an underground gas line ruptured, killing four and destroying 38 homes.

This is something which has almost happened in South Carolina numerous times, often when construction crews barely miss a gas line which has been unmarked by utility locators, or when an irresponsible contractor allows their crews to dig without giving the required notice. To the right is a photo of an incident which took place in Mount Pleasant (in the districts of Sen. Campsen and Rep. Sotille) where a gas line was nowhere near where the marks were - and disaster barely avoided.

South Carolina's laws regarding underground utility damage prevention were passed in 1978, and haven't been updated since then, raising concerns about the potential for a repeat of the San Francisco blast.

As a construction safety person, I can assure you it's not a question of IF, but rather WHEN - unless the standards are updated and an effective enforcement system is in place.


In addition to the lack of an effective enforcement system ensure safety and accountability, there are concerns that South Carolina is one of just SIX states where if you call the 811 Call-Before-You-Dig number, some utilities will not be notified and others may not respond, leaving you to take a chance everytime you dig.

In response to these concerns, representatives from various stakeholder groups, including construction general contractors and utility companies, Senate Bill 705 was introduced this year. This followed a hearing on a bill last year in which which Senators directed the stakeholders to work out their differences and produce a consensus bill no later than this spring.

The bill sailed through the Senate in a matter of weeks and is now in the House, where it awaits debate on the House floor, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

Please stay tuned and we'll let you know how it's going.