(Le Mars) — Two recent events could have been prevented if only prior contact was made with Iowa One Call, the agency that helps locate underground utility services. Wednesday’s gas pipeline explosion east of Hinton, and last month’s severing of a fiber optic cable near Orange City that left thousands of customers in Le Mars without cable, internet and even phone service. Ben Booth is the spokesperson for Iowa One Call. He says the system is set up for “damage prevention”. Booth says it is the law to notify Iowa One Call before any excavating is done.
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Booth says failure to notify Iowa One Call could cost you some money, in terms of fines and penalaties and in terms of civic liability lawsuits, and even injunctions.
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The One Call spokesman says he doesn’t understand why people don’t use the service, especially since it is a free service.
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Booth says no one is exempt from the law, from backyards to backfields, everyone must call before they dig.
