What Makes Enforcement Effective?
Most states have had damage prevention legislation for many years with the challenge that too often the ability to enforce the laws was not included. Alabama’s initial legislation was enacted in 1994 with enforcement established under the Attorney General or the local District Attorney. However, no real enforcement actions were conducted over the years. In 2019, a new enforcement program was established with an appointed enforcement board. The enforcement board began to process violation complaints in 2021. Over the last few years, Alabama 811 has continued to educate on how to effectively use the enforcement process. Even though there are more enforcement actions now being processed, would Alabama’s enforcement program be considered effective?
This is a question many states are looking to solve. What makes enforcement effective? What is the positive impact of effective enforcement? Are there negative impacts of effective enforcement?
As we continue to process enforcement actions, there are so many elements that must be reviewed to
ensure the process is as effective and efficient as it can be. It is a learning experience that the Alabama
Underground Damage Prevention Authority (ALUDPA) continues to review to build a solid enforcement program in Alabama.