# EMERGENCY EXCAVATION AND DAMAGE REPORTING PROCEDURE

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 18.60.5.16 NMAC
- **title:** EMERGENCY EXCAVATION AND DAMAGE REPORTING PROCEDURE
- **source type:** regulation
- **agency:** New Mexico Public Regulation Commission
- **status:** current
- **official:** true
- **published on:** Not available
- **effective on:** 2022-08-09
- **summary:** 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 
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- **source url:** https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title18/18.060.0005.html
**body:**

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.
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