PSC, Kentucky 811 Partner to Train Communities on Pipeline Strike Response

The Kentucky Public Service Commission is taking pipeline safety training on the road, partnering with Kentucky 811, first responders, and local utility operators to run a series of Pipeline Strike Response Trainings at locations across the state through May.

The program covers both classroom instruction and hands-on simulation. The in-class portion walks participants through the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act with PSC staff, the locate request and ticket process with Kentucky 811, and a review of damage investigation best practices that includes a demonstration of correct hit kit use. Every company that attends receives a hit kit. The practical segment then puts utility operators and first responders through a mock natural gas pipeline strike, giving crews the chance to navigate a simulated incident and walk through their own response policies and procedures in real time.

Three sessions remain on the calendar. The first takes place March 19 at 4800 New Hartford Rd in Owensboro, followed by an April 15 session at 3025 Conrad Lane in Burlington, and a final date of May 6 at 4089 Iron Works Pkwy in Lexington. Registration opens at 8 a.m. at each site. The training is free, and breakfast and lunch are provided.

Partners listed by the PSC for the program include NUCA of Kentucky, Atmos Energy, Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Duke Energy, Martin Contracting, the Northern Kentucky Utility Damage Prevention Association, and Team Kentucky, alongside Kentucky 811 and local first responders.

The legal backdrop for the training is Kentucky's 811 law, which requires anyone planning to excavate to contact the statewide 811 service at least two working days before breaking ground. That window gives utility companies time to locate and mark underground lines before digging begins. Natural gas providers are required by law to be members of Kentucky 811.

Registration information is available through the PSC's events page at psc.ky.gov.