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Ameren Illinois reminds people to call 8-1-1 before they dig

April is Safe Digging Month.

Ameren Illinois is sharing the importance of calling 8-1-1 before digging or driving a stake into the ground.

It says every six minutes someone contacts an underground utility because they didn't make the call.

Ameren's supervisor for gas public awareness Jake Dukett says this a growing concern because of the fiber boom.

"With the infrastructure bill that stems from lessons learned during COVID, we have a lot of fiber optics projects going on around the country. So, that's increasing the amount of work and the amount of contractors out there working."

Dukett says calling 8-1-1 before you dig is not only a wise decision, it's the law.

He says failing to do so can lead to power or gas outages, or worse, it can lead to injuries and even deaths.

As a news producer and news anchor on All Things Considered, Brad provides the listeners with a recap of the day's top local and state news as well as breaking news at any given time. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiunews@wsiu.org
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