An electrical contractor in De Pere has been fined by the state after they violated several provisions of the “One Call” law.
J&M Electric was reportedly excavating a building in Sturgeon Bay in August of 2019 when they struck a pressurized natural gas service pipeline that serviced an adjacent residential property.
The workers then patched the pipe with a plug, a hose clamp, and some tape, before backfilling the excavation, essentially burying any indication of the damaged pipe.
No call was ever made to 9-1-1 or Wisconsin Public Service to report the damage.
J&M Electric was ordered by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to pay a$150,000 fine, as well as a $15,000 surcharge.
Wisconsin law requires excavators to call Digger’s Hotline three days prior to digging so that underground utilities can be properly identified and marked.