Sec.16-345-1. Definitions

As used in sections 16-345-1 to 16-345-9, inclusive, of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies:

(1) "Excavator" means a person, public utility or public agency, directly performing or engaged in the act of excavation or demolition;

(2) "Public agency" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(3) "Public utility" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(4) "Central clearinghouse" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(5) "Excavation" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(6) "Demolition" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(7) "Damage" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(8) "Approximate location" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(9) “Authority” means the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority or its successor;

(10) “Designated area” means the area of proposed excavation or demolition designated in accordance with subsection (e) of section 16-345-4 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

(11) “Area of continual excavation” means a location where excavation is part of the normal business of that location, including, but not limited to, cemeteries, quarries, and farms;

(12) "Facilities" means any wire, cable, pipe, vault, storage tank, transformer, or other similar property or equipment owned by public utilities for furnishing electric, gas, telephone, telegraph, communications, pipeline (whether for hire or not), sewage (including storm sewers, sanitary sewers and drainage systems, or parts thereof), water, community television antenna, steam, traffic signal, fire signal or similar service, regardless of whether such property or equipment is located on land owned by a person or public agency or whether it is located within an easement or right of way, but excluding such property or equipment owned by the owner of a private residence for utility service solely for such residence;

(13) "Registered" when used in connection with a public utility's facilities, includes such facilities known to the central clearinghouse to the extent that the central clearinghouse has sufficient information to provide notification service as required by section 16-349 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(14) “Emergency excavation” means an excavation or demolition without explosives that is necessary to correct an emergency involving danger to life, health, or property, the interruption of operation of a major industrial plant, or to assure the continuity of public utility service;

(15) “Emergency blasting” means the use of explosives to correct an emergency involving an immediate and substantial danger of death or serious personal injury;

(16) “Soft digging” means a nonmechanical and nondestructive process used to excavate and evacuate soils at a controlled rate, using high pressure water or air jet to break up the soil, often in conjunction with a high power vacuum unit to extract the soil without damaging the facilities;

(17) “Person” has the same meaning as provided in section 16-345 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

(18) “Responsible party” is a person, public agency or public utility that has direct knowledge and oversight of an excavation or demolition that will be performed on its behalf;

(19) "Contact" means the striking, scraping or denting, however slight, of any underground utility facility, including any underground utility facility protective coating, housing or other protective device;

(20) “Notify the central clearinghouse” means to provide the information required by section 16-345-4 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies to the central clearinghouse about a proposed excavation or demolition by calling the designated telephone number, utilizing the designated website, or otherwise providing notice to the central clearinghouse in a manner established by the central clearinghouse; and

(21) “Ticket” means a notification provided by the excavator to the central clearinghouse.

(Effective October 25, 1988; Amended March 21, 1997; Amended August 23, 2000; Amended August 2, 2016)