Persons digging too close to gas pipelines cause most accidents. Even a hand held shovel can damage underground utilities such as gas lines. Backhoes and bulldozers can damage any underground facility. For this reason and others, the District of Columbia enacted the Underground Facilities Protection Law (DC Code, 2001 ED, Chapter 27).

DC Code, 2001 ED, {34-2702} requires utility companies in the District of Columbia to form and operate a One Call center for the mutual receipt of notification of proposed excavation and demolition operations in the District. The One Call center files with the District Department of Transportation, its telephone number and address, and a list of the name and address of each participating public utility operator. The Code also requires all agencies of the District of Columbia with an interest in underground facilities to join and participate in the One Call center. The District of Columbia's One Call Center is referred to as the District One Call or "DOC."

The Washington Metropolitan area (DC, Maryland, Virginia) operates a One Call Notification System, which is "Miss Utility". Call "Miss Utility, at 1-800-257-7777or the new national Call Before You Dig telephone number - 811, AT LEAST two (2) working days before you start digging. This will give utility companies an opportunity to identify and mark the approximate locations of buried gas lines and other utilities in your project area BEFORE you start digging.

The Commission also enforces compliance with the USDOT Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 49, Parts 190, 191, 192 and 199 on Pipeline Safety Regulations, and Part 198 on One Call Damage Prevention Program. Part 198 requires each State to adopt a one-call damage prevention program as a condition for receiving a full grant-in-aid for its pipeline safety compliance program.

The Commission takes enforcement actions against the gas utility in the District of Columbia, Washington Gas Light (WGL), for violations of the Federal One Call Damage Prevention law. The Commission's enforcement actions include ordering WGL to develop and implement corrective actions and provide written confirmation of completion, and assessing civil penalties as mandated in CFR Title 49, Part 190. The dollar amount of civil penalty assessed depends upon the respondent's history of prior offenses, and the good faith shown to achieve compliance.

The Commission assesses enforcement actions for violations such as non-compliance with operator qualification requirements, digging or excavating without first calling the One Call Center to make a locate request(s) to utilities AT LEAST two (2) working days before the start of digging or excavation, no markings of the gas pipelines in the project area, and inaccurate (mismarkings) of the pipelines.