Section 787 Of Article 3. Equipment, Practices, And Facilities From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 3.
787
. (a) Any public utility, or its contractor, to whom an
excavation permit has been issued by any local agency for the
installation, removal, maintenance, or repair of underground
facilities may backfill the permitted excavation in any public road
or highway with native spoil if all of the following conditions are
met:
(1) The native spoil is competent spoil.
(2) Compaction meets the local agency's requirements using
industry standards for testing compaction.
(3) The public utility or its contractor has no physical evidence
of, or substantial reason to believe that there has been,
contamination of the soil from hazardous wastes.
(4) Within 30 days prior to compaction, a local agency has not
provided the public utility or its contractor with physical evidence
of, or substantial reason to believe that there has been,
contamination of the soil from hazardous wastes.
(b) If a local agency has determined through prior experience that
the public utility that is applying for, or benefiting from, the
excavation permit has previously neglected to adequately fill or
compact prior excavations, whether directly or through its
contractors, the local agency may, as a condition of the excavation
permit do either or both of the following:
(1) Require the public utility to post a bond, with a term not
exceeding one year, amounting to two times the cost for the local
agency to repair the backfill work, if done improperly, or any
related collateral damage.
(2) Require the public utility to submit a report from a
registered soils engineer that the proper compaction of the
excavation has been achieved.
(c) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Competent spoil" means soils that can be treated to bring
their moisture content into the optimum range, and that can achieve
the compaction required by the local agency.
(2) "Local agency" means any city or county agency.
(3) "Public utility" means any electrical corporation, gas
corporation, heat corporation, water corporation, telephone
corporation, pipeline corporation, sewer corporation, telegraph
corporation, where the service is performed for, or the commodity
delivered to, the public or any portion thereof.