Great news for our crews and contractors! Drive safely, Kentucky.
As you drive in to work today, you will likely pass through multiple work zones and not know the people in safety vests you see working there. It’s different for me. Sometimes, those men and women are Columbia Gas of Kentucky team members and contractors working to maintain our pipelines. They are hardworking people with families who expect them to come home safely at the end of the day. I am celebrating the passage yesterday of a new Kentucky law that directly impacts their safety by expanding the definition work zones to include utility workers and the worksites they set up in neighborhoods across Central and Eastern Kentucky. I applaud Governor Andy Beshear, Representatives Blanton and Hale, Senator Higdon and the entire Kentucky State Legislature for passing this critical law, a major victory as #WorkZoneSafetyAwarenessWeek comes to a close this week. As the Governor noted earlier this month, 2023 recorded over 1,200 highway work zone crashes, resulting in 247 injuries and 17 fatalities. This new law will update Kentucky Revised Statute 189.960 to enforce strict standards for drivers who drive recklessly in work zones. Violators can expect to see fines as high as $10,000 and may be subject to revocation of their driver's license. At NiSource and Columbia Gas, we believe safety is a foundational commitment of our business. We strive to operate with excellence and do the right things to keep our employees and customers safe above all else. With this new law, our Columbia Gas crews will be able to perform the vital services to customers across our 29-county service are and return home safely to their families at the end of each day. Slow down, Kentucky. The lives of my co-workers and friends depend on it.