Good Afternoon Ms. Priester,

For more than 15 years, the South Carolina Governor has proclaimed a safe digging month or week in South Carolina. Nationally for the past 8 years, April has been designated as Safe Digging Month and Governor Haley has proclaimed April as Safe Digging Month for South Carolina every year she has been in office.

April is a great time to remind the public about the importance of calling before digging as people are beginning to get outside to do yard work before the heat of the summer hits. People often overlook the importance of safety when it comes to excavation and underground utility lines. For the record, there is a football fields length of utility lines for every man, woman and child in the US, which is a lot of underground infrastructure. And unfortunately, every 6 minutes in the US, and underground facility line in damaged or cut because of excavation. However, calling 811 to have the underground utility lines marked is a free service and reduces the chance of a utility damage to less than 1%. 

For next April, we would love to have an event where Gov. Haley signs the Safe Digging Month Proclamation. One suggestion is having the statehouse or governor’s mansion marked in paint or flags to show what it looks like to have the underground utility lines marked.  I have attached a more formal request for you to review as well.

Please let me know if there is a good time to meet or set up a call to discuss in more detail.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Charleigh

Charleigh Elebash

Public Awareness Manager | South Carolina 811

O: (803) 451-7718 | C: (334) 546-9755

celebash@sc1pups.org | www.sc811.com