Washington, D.C. – Leaders from the energy, utility, locating, 811 Center and construction industries have come together to establish the Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAC), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing effective public policies critical to maintaining the complex network of underground utility infrastructure that American communities depend on every day. For the first time, the group will attend the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Louisville, Ky., from Aug. 5-7.
“The United States is experiencing an unprecedented level of investment in building our infrastructure, resulting in increased excavation and construction activity that will require additional engagement from all stakeholders,” said DPAC Chair Jerrod Henschel, also President of Mears Broadband. “Adherence to state damage prevention laws, and enforcement where necessary, will be critical to the success of these large investments in infrastructure. In many cases, the laws governing U.S. damage prevention do not adequately meet the demands of modern construction and infrastructure development. Strengthening federal, state and local legislation is critical to keeping Americans safe and connected.”
DPAC’s work will focus on policies long agreed to by damage prevention leaders as the gold standard for protecting underground infrastructure, such as Common Ground Alliance (CGA)’s best practices, data and research. CGA is the damage prevention industry’s preeminent source of information, data and analysis.
“Bringing data and resources to officials at the federal, state and local levels will help educate policymakers about the importance of strong damage prevention policies and how the issue impacts their communities,” said DPAC Executive Director Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, who also serves as CGA’s President and CEO. “Damage to this infrastructure costs communities across the country an estimated $30 billion annually. We look forward to our first year attending NCSL, the nation’s largest gathering of legislators and legislative staff, as we work together to implement effective damage prevention policies to safeguard the public, improve worker safety and protect critical underground infrastructure.”
Attendees at NCSL are invited to visit booth 333 for more information about DPAC’s work, as well as visit the DPAC-sponsored coffee lounge (booth 833) in the main exhibit space on Aug. 7 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. For more information, please visit https://damagepreventionactioncenter.com.
About DPAC
The Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAC)’s mission is to advocate for public policies and industry practices that protect underground utility infrastructure and those who work and live near these important assets. DPAC empowers elected and public officials to safeguard the public, improve worker safety and protect critical underground infrastructure by providing the Common Ground Alliance’s data-driven resources and consensus-based Best Practices in damage prevention.