# EMERGENCY EXCAVATION AND DAMAGE REPORTING PROCEDURE

**Citation:** 18.60.5.16 NMAC  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** New Mexico Public Regulation Commission  
**Effective:** 2022-08-09  
**Published:** Not stated

This section applies whenever failure of or damage to underground facilities or public infrastructure requires emergency excavation as defined in Subsection E of Section 62-14-2 NMSA 1978 and excavation shall be promptly commenced, ideally within 24 hours. A. Excavators: An excavator who damages an 

## Document text

This section applies whenever failure of or damage to underground facilities or public infrastructure requires emergency excavation as defined in Subsection E of Section 62-14-2 NMSA 1978 and excavation shall be promptly commenced, ideally within 24 hours.

A. Excavators: An excavator who damages an underground facility while excavating with mechanical or non-mechanical equipment shall exercise prudence and shall:

(1) stop excavating immediately;

(2) call 911 if appropriate and the operator of the damaged underground facility and 811 to report the damaged facility;

(3) secure the site and direct people and traffic a safe distance away from the site of the damage;

(4) not leave the scene until authorized by an emergency responder or the operator of the damaged underground facility; an excavator may leave the scene without such authorization only if the excavator has made reasonable, if unsuccessful, efforts to contact the affected UFOs and has safely secured the site;

(5) not resume work within an unsafe distance of the damage until authorized by the operator of the damaged underground facility.

B. Operators of failed or damaged underground facilities: The operator of a failed or damaged underground facility shall exercise prudence and shall:

(1) immediately respond to a report of damage or failure to its underground facilities and travel to the site;

(2) prior to traveling to the site or upon arrival, call the one-call notification system for the excavation area to request an emergency locate;

(3) make the site safe and get the emergency situation under control;

(4) locate its own underground facilities as soon as practical, ideally within two hours;

(5) begin remedial action to restore service as soon as practical, ideally within 24 hours; and

(6) obtain a standard excavation locate ticket for repair work beyond resolution of the emergency situation.

C. Operators of failed or damaged public infrastructure: The entity responsible for the failed or damaged public infrastructure shall:

(1) call the one-call notification system for the excavation area to request an emergency locate;

(2) obtain an excavation locate ticket for repair work beyond resolution of the emergency situation.

D. One-call notification system: A one-call notification system shall upon request:

(1) issue an emergency excavation notice which shall be valid until the emergency is resolved, or for 48 hours, whichever is longer;

(2) issue a notice of a reported damage to each affected UFO.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title18/18.060.0005.html>
- Source ID: `nm-srca-nmac`
- SHA-256: `c3ca8676567b44d29f4e9e8c8e7874b1b6ce3bf236ee3370385d55d7cb2b9d12`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T08:28:34.875Z
- Exported: 2026-08-25T06:10:02.521Z
- Document slug: `nm-nmac-18-60-5-16`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "jurisdiction": "US-NM",
  "title": 18,
  "chapter": 60,
  "part": "5",
  "section": 16,
  "partTitle": "PIPELINE SAFETY EXCAVATION DAMAGE PREVENTION",
  "pipelineScope": "new-mexico-pipeline-safety",
  "legalScope": "Complete current official NMAC Title 18, Chapter 60, Parts 2 through 5: general pipeline-safety provisions, annual fees, enforcement procedures, and excavation-damage prevention. Part 1 is reserved.",
  "applicabilityCaveat": "Applicability depends on New Mexico Public Regulation Commission jurisdiction, pipeline or underground-facility type, operator and activity, intrastate or interstate status, federal preemption, incorporated federal rules, exemptions, waivers, and current Commission orders. Excavation-damage provisions also apply to one-call systems and excavators as specified in Part 5.",
  "rights": "Official New Mexico Administrative Code text is preserved with State Records Center and Archives attribution and source provenance. Agency marks, site presentation, linked material, and incorporated federal or third-party standards may carry separate rights; confirm reuse requirements beyond legal research.",
  "currentEffectiveOn": "2022-08-09",
  "effectiveDateBasis": "Latest explicit date in the official section history note; not a chapter-wide publication date.",
  "rawHistory": "[18.60.5.16 NMAC - Rp, 18.60.5.16 NMAC, 1/15/2019; A, 8/9/2022]",
  "references": [
    {
      "citation": "18.60.5.16 NMAC",
      "referenceType": "new-mexico-administrative-code"
    },
    {
      "citation": "62-14-2 NMSA 1978",
      "referenceType": "new-mexico-statutes"
    }
  ],
  "publicationStatus": "Current official NMAC part text published by the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.",
  "region": "NM"
}
```