Section 265.40  Non-Emergency Excavation and Demolition

Every person in connection with any non-emergency excavation or demolition or any operation that might interfere with existing underground utility facilities shall:

a)         Provide notice not more than 14 days nor less than 48 hours (exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) in advance of the start of any excavation or demolition to the State-Wide One-Call Notice System to request that any underground facilities in the notice area be marked in accordance with the Act;

b)         Before commencing excavation or demolition, each person shall take reasonable action to identify the location of underground utility facilities in and near the construction area. Reasonable actions include the performance of a site inspection prior to excavation to verify the person is at the correct location of excavation or demolition activities and to check for any indication of unmarked utility facilities. If clear evidence of unmarked utility facilities exists, each person shall comply with the requirements of Section 11(i) of the Act [220 ILCS 50/11(i)];

c)         Identify on appropriate construction plans, with such warnings as may be reasonable, the existence of underground utility facilities determined to be in and near the construction area;

d)         Plan the excavation or demolition to avoid or minimize the possibility of damage to underground utility facilities within the tolerance zone by utilizing precautions that include, but are not limited to, hand excavation, vacuum excavation, and visually inspecting the excavation while in progress until clear of the existing marked facilities;

e)         Provide support for existing underground utility facilities in and near the construction area as may be reasonably necessary for the protection of those facilities, unless otherwise agreed to by the owner or operator of the underground utility facility; and

f)         Backfill all excavations in such manner and with such materials as to provide reliable support for existing underground utility facilities in and near the construction area.