Your Role in Pipeline Safety…
Everyone has a role in pipeline safety. To ensure the safety of you and those around you, always call your local one-call center before you plan to dig or conduct any excavation. The nation-wide toll-free number to reach your local one-call center is 8-1-1.

This free call will notify underground facility owners, including pipelines, in the; area of your intention to dig or excavate. The facility owners will come out to the area of the planned excavation and mark any facilities in the area of the excavation. These markings will assist you with preventing damage to facilities in the area of excavation.

Being aware of your surroundings and the presence of pipelines will also assist with ensuring your safety.

Please be aware that calling 8-1-1 will not mark customer owned facilities. You may own a pipeline if you have a gas meter in your yard with a gas line providing service to your home. This line needs to be identified and can be located by a plumber.

Our role in Pipeline Safety…
Copano Energy and its subsidiaries are dedicated to pipeline safety and working cooperatively with the communities in which it operates. From the time a pipeline is conceived on paper to the time it begins moving natural gas, hazardous liquids, or other materials pipeline personnel take significant steps to ensure the integrity of the system. These steps include using cathodic protection to deter corrosion of the steel from occurring, monitoring the pipeline system electronically and visually for any signs of a problem, and performing tests that ensure the internal integrity of the system using water, visual inspection or internal inspection devices.

In addition to operational monitoring and routine maintenance of Copano systems, Copano is dedicated to providing the general public and other stakeholders potentially impacted by pipeline operations, with educational information about pipelines. The information will help those living or working near a pipeline to recognize the presence of a pipeline or related facility and how to recognize and respond to a pipeline emergency.

For more information on specific activities, please explore other areas of the Copano website for additional information or contact us directly at (800) 401-9019.

In Texas, those excavating near a pipeline must follow safety requirements implemented by the Texas Railroad Commission. The requirements are the steps an excavator must take before digging or excavating. If the steps are not followed, an excavator is subject to fines and penalties by the Railroad Commission.

When excavating in Texas, you must follow the follow the steps outlined below which summarize the state law. To read a complete version of Chapter 18 of the Railroad Commission Rules, click here.

Know the law, always call before you dig and follow these steps…

• Prior to calling your local one-call center, you must whiteline the area of the excavation if the project area cannot be accurately described to the one-call center. White-lining the area of excavation requires the excavator to place a white-line with spray-paint or flags around the area of excavation.
• Notify one-call center by dialing 8-1-1 at least 48 hours, but not more than 14 days prior to the date of excavation, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal Federal and Texas holidays (see Texas Government Code §662.003 for a list of the Texas holidays)
• When calling a One-Call notification center the excavator must provide:
  • Your name
  • Address
  • Telephone number of the person calling
  • The location of the proposed excavation (street address or description)
  • The name, address and number of the excavator
  • The excavator's telephone number
  • If available; a fax number, e-mail or other electronic number to which an operator may send the required positive response;
  • The start date and time and the anticipated completion date of excavation
  • A statement as to whether explosives will be used and the method an excavator will receive positive response.
• You must wait at least 48-hours, not including Saturday, Sunday or holidays before beginning an excavation.
• If a pipeline operator wants to be present during excavation, you must contact the operator and notify them of any change in the excavation start time.
• You must confirm that a copy of a valid locate ticket is available, and can be provided, if requested by the Texas Railroad Commission, within one (1) hour.
• You must verify that the address on the locate ticket is correct and the white-lining is correct, if applicable, in addition to making a visual check for any unmarked pipelines before beginning excavation.
• You may begin an excavation when you have received a positive response that all lines have been marked or received a confirmation that no facilities are present from all operators in the area who were notified of the excavation.
• If you:
  • Have knowledge of the existence of an underground pipeline that has received an "all clear" or "no conflict";
  • Observe clear evidence of an unmarked underground pipeline for which there has been no positive response; or,
  • Receive a positive response that is unclear or erroneous ;

Then, you must make a second call to a notification center and wait four (4) hours before excavation may begin.

During the excavation, you must:

• Preserve markings left by the pipeline operator during excavation activities
• Plan excavation in a manner as to avoid damage, minimize interference, and protect underground pipelines.
• Exercise reasonable care when excavating in a tolerance zone.
• If you do not complete your project within 14 days, you must call the one-call center (just dial 8-1-1) and request the markings be refreshed for only the area yet to be excavated.
• If you damage a pipeline you must immediately, but no later than two (2) hours, contact the pipeline owner. If you do not know who the owner of the pipeline or other underground facility is, contact the One-Call notification center by dialing 8-1-1. If the damage results in an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

If damage occurs, you must also:

• Delay backfilling until the damage is reported to the operator and a repair schedule is mutually agreed upon and/or the operator's approval.
• Keep ignition sources away from the area

You are required to make a report to Texas Railroad Commission within 10 days when:

• A pipeline operator fails to provide a positive you a response to a first or second call to a notification center
• Any damage occurs to a pipeline (in addition to immediately notifying the pipeline operator)

The Texas Damage Reporting Form, may be accessed by clicking here.

• Retain required records (specifically locate tickets and positive response records) for at least four (4) years.