Senate Bill 189 Summary

• Amends Delaware's Underground Utility and Safety Act to establish duties for utility operators regarding notification, marking, and damage reporting for excavation and demolition sites.

• Requires operators to physically mark utility line locations within 18 inches using color-coded markings (red for electric, yellow for gas/oil/hazardous materials, orange for communications, blue for water/slurry, green for sewer) within 2 working days of a request.

• Mandates operators notify the Public Service Commission within 15 working days of any excavation-related facility damage exceeding $3,000, with immediate notification required for damage to gas, oil, petroleum, or dangerous materials pipeline facilities.

• Designates Utilities Service Protection of Delmarva, Inc. as the approved notification center to receive and coordinate utility line location information and excavation notices.

• Establishes penalties for violations ranging from $100-$500 for first offense to $200-$1,000 for subsequent offenses; operators of underground pipeline facilities face civil penalties up to $10,000 per day per violation with a $500,000 maximum for related violations.