The OSWCA Congratulates the Ontario Legislature for Passing Bill 8 - Ontario "One Call"

TORONTO, June 14, 2012 /CNW/ - The OSWCA and its 800 member companies across the province are very pleased that the Ontario Legislature came together today in a spirit of collaboration to pass Bill 8 - Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012.

"This is a huge victory in the OSWCA's continued efforts to see Ontario become the first Canadian province to mandate a provincial wide "One Call" system and will go a long way to making Ontario a safer place for us to work and live" said Mark Van Bree, President of the OSWCA.

This Act will enable our member companies to call just one simple number to request and receive all required underground locates. Previously, our members had to call up to 13 different numbers, often unsure if they had reached all underground utility owners. This newly minted "One Call" system will drastically decrease the number of underground infrastructure assaults that happen during excavation, making Ontario a safer and more economically prosperous province.

"Now that the Bill has passed the OSWCA is eager to begin working with the Ontario government on the regulations to ensure that this legislation reaches the desired results of making excavations as safe as possible" stated Joe Accardi, OSWCA Executive Director.

The OSWCA would like to thank the Ontario Legislature for their hard work and dedication that went along with passing Bill 8.  We would like to specifically recognize and commend MPP Bob Bailey of Sarnia - Lambton and MPP Paul Miller of Hamilton East - Stony Creek for their diligence in ensuring that Ontario "One Call" remained a top priority for the legislature.

The OSWCA is the voice of over 800 members across Ontario including contractors, manufactures, consulting engineers and distributors. We are champions of environmental protection and best practices in safety and water system management. Collectively, we perform over $1 billion a year in capital projects to ensure clean, safe drinking water and environmentally responsible wastewater treatment and disposal.

To learn more about the OSWCA visit www.oswca.org

Susan McGovern
Assistant Executive Director
[email protected]
Office: 905-629-7766
Cell: 416-206-6645