April 1, 2025 – APRIL IS NATIONAL SAFE DIGGING MONTH…EXPLORER PIPELINE REMINDS HOMEOWNERS TO CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG
During the spring months Oklahoma sees a variety of weather conditions. Tulsa and surrounding counties will often see sunshine, rain, hail, strong winds and cold fronts all in the same day. Many times, storms can cause damage to homes, yards and businesses.
“Buried utility lines pose a safety risk when doing outdoor projects that require digging or excavation” says Mark Hurley, President & CEO. “Safe Digging Month is a great way to remember to call 811 before you dig. The service is free and can keep your family and community safe.”
Explorer Pipeline wants to remind everyone to be safe while working on their yard space whether it be from storm damage clean up or yard improvement projects. Remember there may be lines buried underground. Before digging anywhere below the surface, homeowners and contractors should call 8-1- 1 to ensure the safety of the area.
Calling 811 is required by Oklahoma law, and helps prevent damage to underground utilities, such as water mains, natural gas pipes, pipelines, telecommunications and more. Research shows that calling 811 before digging reduces the risk of injury, environmental harm, and utility damage by 99%.
811 is a free service to locate buried utilities and pipelines before digging. Utility and pipelines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches the risk of striking an underground line still exists. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then arrive within two days at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
Visit https://www.expl.com/call-before-you-dig/ or www.call811.com for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.
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Explorer Pipeline is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has over 240 employees. It transports refined petroleum products through an 1872-mile pipeline system extending from Port Arthur, Texas to the upper Midwest and serves major markets, including Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Chicago. The southern system currently has a capacity of 660,000 barrels per day and the northern system currently has a capacity of 450,000 barrels per day.
