TO: EDITORS, NEWS DIRECTORS

DATE: September 20, 2000

FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACC Pipeline Staff Tour State to Promote Safety
Recent Accidents Highlight Risks to Construction Workers

PHOENIX - A seven-story fireball, a worker shocked to death and phone service cut off for several days... what do these three situations have in common? They all involve construction activities in which workers unexpectedly encountered underground pipelines or cables. To help prevent accidents, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) participates in educational programs designed to prevent accidents or incidents involving underground pipelines and other underground facilities. Seminars are scheduled through October 5 in northern Arizona (see below for cities and dates).

Construction crews and excavators throughout the state are invited to participate in these valuable damage prevention and education programs. The seminars are presented in conjunction with the Arizona Blue Stake Center and the owners of underground gas, electric, telecommunications and pipeline facilities. The seminars will address:

How to work safely around utility lines,

How the Blue Stake Law works for you,

How to reduce damage and save money,

How trench safety can save your life, and

How to comply with the laws governing underground facilities.

The two-hour long seminars are free and include dinner and door prizes sponsored by the utilities and other industry-related representatives. The northern Arizona seminar schedule is as follows:

September 21 in Flagstaff,

October 3 in Kingman

October 4 in the Mohave Valley area (Laughlin)

October 5 in Lake Havasu

The ACC will also participate in a seminar on October 21 hosted by the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association of Arizona (UTCA) and Southwest Gas. It will be held at Southwest Gas Corporation's offices in Tempe.

For more information about the northern Arizona seminars, please call the Arizona Corporation Commission's Pipeline Safety Section at 602-542-3316 or call Arizona Blue Stake at 1-800-STAKE-IT to reserve a seat in advance. For information about the October 21 program in Tempe, please call Southwest Gas at (602)395-4233.

The ACC's Pipeline Safety Section is tasked with enforcing state and federal underground facilities laws. Underground facilities include: gas, water and hazardous materials pipelines; telephone and cable television lines; and underground electric lines.

Editors & News Directors: You can help us prevent accidents and violations of the Arizona Blue Stake Law by airing this public service announcement.

The Arizona Corporation Commission reminds you: Before you dig underground, call the Arizona Blue Stake Center. Whether you're a homeowner or an experienced contractor, this is the safest way to prevent shocking or explosive surprises - surprises like underground electric, water, gas, cable or telecommunications lines. And it's the law! One call to the Arizona Blue Stake Center is all it takes and the utility will come out and mark the precise location of its lines for FREE. Inside Maricopa County the number to call is 602-263-1100. Elsewhere in the state, the number is 1-800-STAKE-IT.