Mykl Roventine, Author at Montana811

“The Industry Built the Regulations by Digging Them.” An Interview with Keith and Marcia Mitchell

Keith and Marcia Mitchell of Pine Street Inc. are well-known figures in the Montana excavation community. They have more than 50 years of combined experience, after all. You might have seen them at Montana811 excavation safety training sessions, which they’ve attended every year. One Call Concepts, Inc., reached out to the couple on behalf of Montana811 to talk about their respective careers, the importance of damage prevention, and changes to the industry. They spoke with me via phone out of their business office in Glendive. Keith wears a hearing aid due to years of working with machinery, and so Marcia acted as a facilitator and repeated his answers to me.

2019 Winter and Spring Educational Opportunities in Montana

From January-March 2019, Montana 811 is hosting FREE one-call excavator trainings throughout the state. These events are designed for professional excavators, contractors, and member utilities to learn about the one-call system, safe excavation, and understanding their rights and responsibilities under the updated Montana One Call Law. We will also cover studies of previous excavation accidents and how they could’ve been prevented. Feel free to ask any questions and make comments during these trainings. Whether you attend a morning or evening training, we will provide a meal. There will be two presentations:

Winter Safety Tips

Montana 811 consistently strives to promote the message of safety to all stakeholders. Winter often brings severe storms and frigid temperatures. Stay safe and healthy by planning ahead. No matter how many Montana winters you’ve endured, keeping these important tips in mind will help you get safely through this winter:

Private Facilities: Are They On Your Property?

Private underground facilities, also called customer-owned facilities, may be found anywhere, including your excavation site. Operators of lines buried in the public right-of-way must register with Montana 811 (MT 811), so these lines will be marked as the result of a locate request. Privately-owned facilities, like utility lines that serve heaters for hot tubs, gas barbecues, electric security lighting, invisible dog fences, farm taps, buried sprinklers systems, and many others, are not marked when locators respond to your MT 811 request, since they are the owner’s responsibility. Let’s take a look at some common types of private underground facilities.