Clinton receives Gold Cup Award from Atmos

By Randy Bell    

Clinton is one of only three communities to receive special recognition from Atmos Energy this year for showing a commitment to safe digging.  At the Board of Aldermen meeting August 4, Bobby Morgan, the company’s vice president of governmental and public affairs, presented the City with a Gold Cup Award for actions taken to avoid gas line damage.

“We look at a variety of metrics,” Morgan says.  That includes calls to Mississippi 8-1-1 to locate underground utilities before any digging is done.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is that people recognize the infrastructure that’s beneath them,” said Morgan.

He says the award honors Clinton’s Public Works crews for helping to protect gas lines during water and sewer projects.

“They’re calling in to make sure that our lines are appropriately marked, so that work can be done in a safe, cohesive, quick manner to ensure the non-interruption of service.”

According to Morgan, the public would do well to follow the City’s example.

“I would urge every citizen, before undertaking a [digging] project, to call Mississippi 8-1-1, regardless of the depth, regardless of how small the project may be.  It is a free service.”

A locate request must be made no less than three working days before the excavation is to be done.

“Plan ahead,” Morgan says.  “If you know you’re going to do work on the weekend, call Monday or Tuesday, so professional locators can come out toward the end of the week and locate those lines.  Once they’re properly located, you can pursue your project.  Not only does it protect yourself, your family, your neighbors, the community itself, it’s also the law.  So, we want people to be safe and to be compliant at the same time.”