Central clearinghouse

(a) Call Before You Dig, Inc., a corporation established under the Connecticut Non-stock Corporation Act, membership in which corporation is open to all public utilities which file with it the information required by sections 16-345-1 to 16-345-9, inclusive, of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, shall be the central clearinghouse. (b) The certificate of incorporation and Bylaws of the central clearinghouse shall be subject to the approval of the Department. (c) The central clearinghouse shall establish and submit to the Department for its approval written operating procedures, which shall detail the days and hours during which the notification system will be in full operation, and which also shall include procedures for: (1) receiving, handling and promptly dispatching messages, to public utilities and permit issuing public agencies described in sections 16-345-6 and 16-345-7 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies; (2) determining the size of the proposed excavation or demolition that may be included as one notification; (3) advising the caller to contact individual public utilities which the caller suspects might be affected by emergency excavations, discharges of explosives or demolitions during non-operation hours; (4) retaining records of all messages for a reasonable time period; (5) establishing and maintaining a standard grid system; (6) providing for the institution of advertisement and educational programs to advise persons, public agencies and public utilities affected by chapter 293 of the Connecticut General Statutes, of the central clearinghouse's terms and requirements; encouraging educational programs for the benefit of persons, public agencies and public utilities who excavate and the owners of underground utility facilities; and encouraging public and private agencies planning or undertaking construction projects to require design engineers to obtain underground utility information, identify such data on drawings, resolve facility conflicts with public utilities, and design projects to minimize adverse effects on facilities; and (7) Such other provisions as the Department shall deem necessary to carry out the objectives of chapter 293 of the Connecticut General Statutes and the public safety. (d) No less than two months prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the central clearinghouse shall propose to the Department for approval an annual budget which shall: (1) include billing rates that shall equitably allocate the costs of operating the notification system to those public utilities whose facilities are registered with the Department; and (2) be calculated so that the central clearinghouse shall neither make a profit nor suffer a loss, provided that if such a profit or loss does occur during any year, the budget for the next year shall be adjusted accordingly. (e) The central clearinghouse shall, from time to time, as the Department may require, file with the Department a current list of public utilities that participate in the central clearinghouse's service, which list shall include for each such public utility: (1) the name and title of the public utility's employee or representative responsible for receiving notice of proposed excavations, discharges of explosives or demolitions; (2) the business address of such employee; (3) the normal hours and days of the week ("business hours") during which such employee may be contacted at the public utility; (4) the "business hours" telephone number where such employee or representative may be reached; (5) an emergency telephone number to be used to contact such employee or representative during a non-business hours emergency; and (6) such other information about each such public utility as the Department shall deem necessary to carry out the objectives of chapter 293 of the Connecticut General Statutes and the public safety. (f) The central clearinghouse shall, from time to time, as the Department may require, file with the Department a list of the public utilities actually known to the central clearinghouse which have not filed with it the information required to be filed by the public utilities pursuant to sections 16-345-1 to 16-345-9, inclusive, of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies. (g) The central clearinghouse shall, from time to time, as the Department may require, file with the Department, a summary list of all violations and damage reported to it pursuant to subdivisions (3) and (4) of subsection (a) of section 16-345-3 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies.