Gov. Mark Dayton and nine city mayors proclaim April as Safe Digging Month

MINNEAPOLIS, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Mark Dayton and nine city mayors in Minnesota issued proclamations announcing April as Safe Digging Month. The proclamations urge homeowners to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects to prevent injuries, property damage, repair costs and inconvenient outages.  This April marks the eighth annual National Safe Digging Month, reminding Minnesota residents to always call 811 two working days before any digging project. National Safe Digging Month is formally recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and has traditionally earned the support from nearly every state governor across the country.

In recognition of the eighth annual National Safe Digging Month, along with Minnesota Governor Dayton, the following nine mayors issued safe digging proclamations in their cities:

1. Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Rolland
2. Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead
3. Brooklyn Park Mayor Pro Tem Rich Gates
4. Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz
5. Eden Prairie Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens
6. Edina Mayor Jim Hovland
7. Plymouth Mayor Kelli Slavik
8. Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges
9. Minnetonka Mayor Terry Schneider

"Every six minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. As April marks the traditional start of digging season, we are using this month to strongly encourage individuals and companies to call 811 before digging," said Keith Novy, supervisor of Damage Prevention for CenterPoint Energy. "By calling 811 to have the underground utility lines marked, homeowners and professionals are making an important decision that can help keep them and their communities safe."

By calling 811 before digging:

• Homeowners are connected to Gopher State One Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig.
• Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags and paint.
• Once lines have been accurately marked, homeowners can dig carefully around marked lines.

Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages.

• Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811.
• Installing a mailbox, building a deck and planting a tree or garden are all examples of digging projects that should only begin a few days after a call to 811 to have underground utilities marked.
• The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces.
• Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.

The public can also submit dig requests on their smart phone or on the website at GopherStateOneCall.com. Visit Call811.com for more information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and energy services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also owns a 55.4 percent limited partner interest in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp., which owns, operates and develops natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With more than 7,400 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 140 years. The utility also operates a non-regulated business in Minnesota called Home Service Plus®. For more information, visit the website at CenterPointEnergy.com.

For more information contact 
Becca Virden 
Phone      612.321.4879 
Pager       612.538.1234

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.centerpointenergy.com