Md. Code Ann., Pub. Util. § 12-126
Marking of underground facilities required by owner-members
Effective Jun 1, 2022Added by Acts 2010, c. 635, § 3, eff. Oct. 1, 2010. Amended by Acts 2021, c. 18, § 1, eff. March 13, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 435, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 436, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022.State of Maryland
(a) An owner-member or its contract locator shall mark its underground facility if a proposed excavation or demolition that is specified in the extent of work contained in the ticket:
- (1) is within 5 feet of the horizontal plane of the underground facility; or
- (2) because of planned blasting, is so near to the underground facility that the underground facility may be damaged or disturbed.
(b)
- (1) An owner-member or its contract locator shall mark the location of its underground facility as specified under subsection (a) of this section by marking on the ground within 18 inches on a horizontal plane on either side of the underground facility.
(2)
- (i) When marking the location of an underground facility, an owner-member or its contract locator shall use the color codes established by the American Public Works Association for marking underground facilities in effect at the time of marking.
- (ii) If two or more owner-members share the same color code, each owner-member or its contract locator shall include information with the marking that indicates the owner-member of the marked underground facility.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, within 2 business days after the day on which a ticket is transferred to an owner-member or before the selected start work date, the owner-member or its contract locator shall:
- (1) mark the location of the owner-member's underground facility and report to the underground facilities information exchange system that the underground facility has been marked; or
- (2) report to the underground facilities information exchange system that the owner-member has no underground facilities in the vicinity of the planned excavation or demolition.
(d)
(1) If an owner-member or its contract locator is unable to mark the location of the owner-member's underground facility within the time period prescribed in subsection (c) of this section because of the scope of the proposed excavation or demolition, the owner-member shall:
- (i) promptly notify the underground facilities information exchange system and the person that intends to perform the excavation or demolition; and
- (ii) work with the person that intends to perform the excavation or demolition to develop a documented agreement for marking the underground facility.
- (2) If the owner-member or its contract locator and person that intends to perform the excavation or demolition cannot reach a mutually documented agreement for marking under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the owner-member or its contract locator shall mark that portion of the site where excavation or demolition will first occur, and the owner-member or its contract locator shall mark the remainder of the site within a reasonable time.
- (3) If, due to circumstances beyond the control of an owner-member or its contract locator and for reasons other than those specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection, an owner-member or its contract locator is unable to mark the location of the owner-member's underground facility within the time period prescribed in subsection (c) of this section, the owner-member or its contract locator shall report to the underground facilities information exchange system that an extension is required.
- (4) In connection with extensive or contiguous excavation or demolition projects, the person performing the excavation or demolition and the owner-member or its contract locator may establish a working agreement regarding the time periods for marking the underground facility.
Added by Acts 2010, c. 635, § 3, eff. Oct. 1, 2010. Amended by Acts 2021, c. 18, § 1, eff. March 13, 2021; Acts 2022, c. 435, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022; Acts 2022, c. 436, § 1, eff. June 1, 2022.