Integrys Energy : August 11 is a Great Day to Remind Residents to Exercise Safe Digging Practices

For Release: 08/11/2015

August 11 is a Great Day to Remind Residents to Exercise Safe Digging Practices WAUKEGAN - North Shore Gas reminds residents planning late summer landscaping projects to call the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE) 8-1-1 Hotline at least 48 hours/two business days before digging to prevent injury, outages, or unnecessary damage to underground facilities. JULIE is a not-for-profit corporation that provides contractors, excavators, homeowners, and others a free service through a single toll-free phone number, 8-1-1 or (800) 892-0123 to call for the locating and marking of underground utility facilities. Calling 8-1-1 to reach JULIE should be every homeowner and contractor's first step before putting a shovel in the ground and performing any excavation, gardening, construction, or digging. Natural gas and electric lines are buried underneath the property and could be in striking distance, even for a simple project like erecting a tent for a holiday party. It is important that contractors, workers and residents and anyone planning work that requires digging to follow pipeline safety procedures and be aware of safe digging practices. Projects like landscaping yard areas, installing a mailbox, and building a deck or patio are the types of projects that require a call to 8-1-1. Location specialists will come to the home or business to locate, and mark all underground utility services in the area free of charge. Calling 8-1-1 well in advance to have locates completed, will help ensure you can start summer projects safely. People can start projects safely as planned and ensure there are no disruptions to electric or natural gas service, possibly to entire neighborhoods. North Shore gas is celebrating 115 years of delivering safe and reliable natural gas service. Our employees are committed to being the people you can trust for energy customers depend on. More information about natural gas safety, energy efficiency, and other energy-related topics is available on the company's website.