Existing law establishes various requirements for an excavation conducted in an area known or that reasonably should be known to contain a subsurface installation, including prohibiting, with certain exceptions, a person from beginning the excavation, unless the person notifies the appropriate association for operators within a certain period of time. (NRS 455.110)
Under existing law, “excavation” is defined to include the movement or removal of earth, rock or other material in or on the ground by use of non-mechanical equipment by any person, other than a contractor, if at any point the movement or removal of such material occurs more than 12 inches below the surface of the original groundline. (NRS 455.092) This bill revises this definition to include the movement or removal of such material that occurs more than 18 inches below the surface of the original groundline. As a result of this change to the definition of “excavation,” the provisions of existing law governing an excavation conducted in an area known or reasonably known to contain a subsurface installation, including the requirement to notify the appropriate association for operators do not apply to the movement or removal of earth, rock or other material that occurs 18 inches or less below the surface of the original groundline.