November 30, 2000

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - Atlanta Gas Light Company and the Utilities Protection Center of Georgia will sponsor a one-day meeting designed to address the issue of damage to underground facilities in the booming metro Atlanta area. "Digging for Solutions: A Summit on Directional Drilling" will take place December 4 at the Evergreen Conference Center at Stone Mountain Park. Meeting participants will include representatives from all sides of the issue: excavators, locators, utilities, local government and regulatory agencies.

"The network of underground gas pipelines, telecommunication cables, electric and water lines are essential services that must be protected," said Rick Lonn, Chief Engineer, Atlanta Gas Light Company. "The objective of the meeting is to bring the full spectrum of participants together to develop collaborative solutions and best practices that will protect the underground infrastructure."

As the metro Atlanta area grows, so does the number of damages to gas, water, electric and telecommunication lines. Underground facility damages in metro Atlanta will exceed 10,000 incidents this year, according to the Utilities Protection Center.

"It is a shared responsibility to improve damage protection practices," Lonn said. "This meeting is a first step in managing the issue."

Georgia Public Service Commissioner David L. Burgess is scheduled to address the attendees. The agenda includes presentations from the Utilities Protection Center and the National Association of Trenchless Technology. Work sessions designed to develop solutions are planned for the afternoon.

NOTE TO MEDIA:
Although attendance at the Summit is limited to invited guests only, panel members, including Rick Lonn of Atlanta Gas Light and Claudette Campbell of the Utilities Protection Center, will be available immediately after the Summit for a Q&A session with the media. This will take place at the Evergreen Conference Center at Stone Mountain Park. Please call Nick Gold to confirm your attendance.