Underground Infrastructure - February 2023 - 28

PCCA Convention Preview
ty of the undocumented population
may not be looking for a citizenship-or-nothing
deal but would likely
be content with the opportunity to live
in the U.S. legally, work and pay taxes,
have protection from deportation
(for non-felons), and be able to travel
to their country of origin and be with
family for the holidays.
It also recognizes that real border
security and effective enforcement
measures must be in place to ensure
any fix would be a final one - never
needed again.
PCCA's Government Affairs
Committee is intrigued by the Dignity
Act proposal and is excited that Rep.
Salazar has accepted its invitation to attend
the PCCA Convention in Miami
in March to discuss immigration reform
with members.
Damage prevention
PCCA is sharply focused on the safety
of its workers, the public and all underground
facilities. As America prepares
for hundreds of billions of dollars for
infrastructure improvements, in virtually
every subsurface market, damage
prevention is fundamental. All stakeholders
must ensure that their responsibilities
are met.
In 2021, PCCA was the driving force
behind an independent study to exhaustively
examine 811 operations in every
state, see what is working and what is not,
estimate costs and waste, and provide
recommendations for improvement.
The " 811 Emergency " study found
that " failures in the nation's 811 system
used to prevent damage to underground
utility lines are costing $61 billion
a year in waste and excess costs and
creating unnecessary hazards for public
safety, particularly in states where the
implementation and accountability are
most lax. "
Released in November 2021 to considerable
attention, much work was
done in 2022 to update reports and to
get states to consider and adopt the
study's recommendations. That work is
ongoing.
28 FEBRUARY 2023 | UndergroundInfrastructure.com
A top priority for PCCA is ensuring
accurate mapping of underground
facilities, and the association believes
that electronic Geographic Information
System (GIS) mapping should be required
by facility operators and that
the Common Ground Alliance (CGA)
should develop a tool to access this data.
The underground has become a spider's
web of utility networks, and accurate
mapping of underground utility
facilities has become a challenging and
difficult task. GIS databases can be used
to create, manage and analyze maps
loaded with pertinent data related to
underground facilities.
GIS connects data to a map, integrating
location data with a range of
information regarding the subsurface
facilities in that area, and it allows for
layering of data
tied
to geographic
points. Rather than restricting the user
to limited features on a static map, GIS
mapping allows for viewing customizable
combinations of data layers in a
single dynamic tool.
" This is the single most meaningful
thing that could be implemented to
improve damage prevention " Henschel
said. " We have the technology, and now
we have to get all the utilities on board. "
Funding with conditions
While PCCA supported passage of
the federal infrastructure law - the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(IIJA) - at the end of 2021, the association
remains watchful of how the law
is implemented and what requirements
are attached to it by the Biden administration.
PCCA
government affairs representative
Zack Perconti called the IIJA " the
largest-ever investment in broadband
infrastructure, " but he said
that the
funding presents some challenges as
well, including unrealistic Buy American
requirements, mandatory or highly encouraged
project labor agreements, and
continuing workforce issues.
For example, President Biden's
Executive Order 14063 requires federal
agencies to mandate project labor
agreements (PLAs) on federal construction
projects of $35 million or
more. PCCA believes that mandating
PLAs on broadband and electric system
contracts involving federal dollars will
slow projects and drive up costs.
These industries are already facing
monumental worker shortages and
adding PLA requirements will further
shrink the pool of available workers,
resulting in much slower deployment
of broadband buildouts and energy
system upgrades. Added costs will also
significantly reduce the number of projects
ultimately put into service.
PCCA also opposes a new
Environmental Protection Agency rule,
Revised Definition of Waters of the
United States, released in December.
" PCCA members across the country
are working tirelessly to expand access
to high-speed broadband, modernize
and strengthen our nation's electric
grid, and provide the essential workforce
for these and many other critical
infrastructure
projects, " the association
said in a statement. " However,
burdensome federal regulations and
policies have slowed work and jeopardize
the goals set by the Biden administration
to achieve universal access to
broadband and a modern electric grid
within the next decade.
" Instead of critical permitting reforms
and similar regulatory updates,
this decision rolls back positive changes
made during the last administration.
With a case affecting WOTUS regulations
pending before the U.S. Supreme
Court, this decision injects confusion
into what should be a busy year of construction.
PCCA urges the Biden administration
to roll back this regulation
as soon as possible and asks the new
118th Congress to make construction
permitting reform a top priority. "
Learn more at www.pccaweb.org or by
following PCCA on LinkedIn, Facebook
(@powerandcommunications
contractorsassociation), Twitter
(@PCCA_tweets), and Instagram
(@powerandcommunication). UI
http://www.pccaweb.org http://www.UndergroundInfrastructure.com
Underground Infrastructure - February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Infrastructure - February 2023
