Springtime is here and many property owners and professional contractors are taking advantage of the warm weather to undertake landscaping and outdoor projects that require digging or excavating. Atlanta Gas Light urges landowners and contractors to dial the new toll-free "Call Before You Dig" hotline, 8-1-1, before beginning a project.

"Exercising caution when digging around gas lines is important in maintaining safe and reliable gas service," said Suzanne Sitherwood, president of Atlanta Gas Light. "Locating underground gas lines is a service Atlanta Gas Light provides free of charge to residents and businesses."

Dialing 8-1-1 will connect callers to the Georgia Utilities Protection Center. This quick and efficient one call center notifies the appropriate local utilities, which then send locators or locate technicians to the requested site to mark the approximate location of underground lines. Atlanta Gas Light will mark the surface locations of buried natural gas service lines at the job site, which helps prevent liability for damage and fines.

According to Sitherwood, it is important for residents and contractors to call before beginning any outdoor project. "Safety is good business and even small, do-it-yourself jobs like planting a tree and installing a mailbox should be marked to prevent possible injury and costly damage," she continued.

Created to eliminate the confusion of multiple "Call Before You Dig" numbers across the country and to be an easy-to-remember resource, 8-1-1 will make it easier for everyone to call before attempting any digging project. The 8-1-1 number was designated by the FCC in 2005 at the direction of an Act of Congress in 2002 and was officially launched Tuesday, May 1, on the National Mall in Washington, DC by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA). CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 1,400 individuals, organizations and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry.

For more information about the 8-1-1 service, campaign, and a new national survey on consumer digging habits, visit www.call811.com.

About Atlanta Gas Light

Atlanta Gas Light, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources , provides delivery service to more than 1.5 million customers in Georgia. In operation since 1856, the company is one of the oldest corporations in the state. For more information, visit www.atlantagaslight.com.

About AGL Resources

AGL Resources , an Atlanta-based energy services company, serves more than 2.2 million customers in six states. The company also owns Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, an asset manager serving natural gas wholesale customers throughout the nation. As a 70 percent owner in the SouthStar partnership, AGL Resources markets natural gas to consumers in Georgia under the Georgia Natural Gas brand. The company also owns and operates Jefferson Island Storage & Hub, a high-deliverability natural gas storage facility near the Henry Hub in Louisiana. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.

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SOURCE: Atlanta Gas Light