Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe on Monday signed SB133, intended to reduce the risk of damage to the state’s buried utility lines, the type of incident that caused the fatal April 9 explosion in Lexington. The bill adopts Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Best Practices for properly marking buried utilities in advance of digging.
The NTSB’s Initial Report determined the incident was caused in part by damage to an unlocated, unmarked buried natural gas line. The bill will significantly improve damage prevention practices to protect all Missouri residents.
The changes will take effect in August and include:
- Defines damage prevention best practices as CGA Best Practices
- Improves 811 center leadership by including board directors from the construction industry
- Requires all buried utilities installed after August 28, 2025, to include detectable locating devices
- Limits damage liability for excavators if proper procedures were followed
- Expands presumption of negligence for failing to properly mark buried utilities