Abbreviation | NUCA |
---|---|
Formation | 1964 |
Founders | Joseph M. Stone Peter J. Ellis Pat Marinelli Antonio Marinelli D.A. Foster Laurence Siebe |
Type | Trade organization |
Legal status | Active |
Purpose | Representation of the utility construction and excavation industries |
Headquarters | Fairfax, Virginia |
Area served | United States |
Chief Executive Officer | Doug Carlson |
Website | NUCA.com |
The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) is a trade association representing the underground utility industry in the United States. Founded in 1964, NUCA is the largest trade association for this industry in the country. [1] It represents contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers involved in water, sewer, gas, electric, telecommunications, construction site development and excavation sectors of the industry.
NUCA is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
NUCA was founded and incorporated on April 11, 1964 in the law offices of attorney Joseph M. Stone in Washington, D.C. The original founders of NUCA include Stone, Peter J. Ellis, Pat Marinelli, Antonio Marinelli, D.A. Foster and Laurence Siebel. [2]
A jurisdictional dispute between union contractors and plumbers over utility pipe construction at Andrews AFB led to the association's April 1964 foundation. At the air base, located outside of Washington, D.C., The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada had notified union members that all outside lines, including storm and sanitary sewer lines, must be handled by their union members. Many utility contractors were also told by other unions they were required to submit their job plans to the United Association for review, and that union would assign the work.
After an unfavorable NLRB hearing over the Andrews AFB dispute, attorney Stone wrote other local D.C. contractors outlining the reasons for an association for utility contractors. Stone had a concern that each contractor was fighting alone these larger legislative and regulatory battles. NUCA's founders believed that all of these factors posed a serious threat to utility contractors, and moved into action to sign articles of incorporation. [3]
During the months that followed organizing documents, a logo, a newsletter (The Pipeline), and news announcements were prepared, all leading to a November 1964 meeting in New York City where the attendees agreed to expand the membership from the founding companies.
NUCA has 35 chapters, which comprises presences in 23 out of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. This includes seven chapters in Florida, four in Texas, and two each in the states of Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
NUCA’s Clean Water Council is a part of NUCA's lobbying effort, established in 1991. Since its founding, the Clean Water Council has been a part of congressional testimony, hundreds of congressional meetings, letters to Capitol Hill, and published studies. It includes representation from 45 national organizations representing underground construction contractors, design professionals, manufacturers and suppliers, labor unions, and other companies, associations, and individuals. The Clean Water Council advocates for federal legislation and policies that will promote clean water and improve the nation’s infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of assuring safe, clean drinking water for all Americans. [3]
NUCA's safety program offers individualized technical assistance from full-time Certified Safety Professionals on a full range of safety issues, including how to establish and implement a successful safety program and remain in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Training programs, such as NUCA's time-tested Train-the-Trainer and Crew Leader programs, combined with new programs such as the Damage Prevention Train-the-Trainer course and Advanced Crew Leader course for senior personnel, are offered to members and their employees. NUCA's Safety Department represents member interests with OSHA regulations, and works closely with other organizations to ensure the best practices in damage prevention. Additionally, there is an annual Safety and Damage Prevention Forum that brings safety professionals together for networking, advice on risk management and discussing safety problems. [4]
NUCA is working to provide the tools and resources for its members to attract and develop new entrants to our infrastructure industry by improving the image of the industry and providing educational opportunities to coming generations of Americans. Over the next several years, NUCA has pledged to work with public and private schools (K through 12), community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, and continuing adult education programs to develop and distribute utility construction and excavation curriculum for students.
NUCA has used their copyrighted "We Dig America" slogan since 1973. It originated at the association's 1971 convention. At that convention, following a rousing patriotic number by singer/dancer Jeanne Steel, humorist Don Rick came out on stage and uttered the famous words, "You guys really dig America!" The slogan became part of the NUCA logo in the late 1970s, and later became the title of a NUCA Award of Excellence, which is given annually to a nonmember who has made a significant contribution to the industry and/or association.
NUCA distributes a variety of publications, including Utility Contractor Magazine , NUCA @ Work, the member-only NUCA Business Journal, NUCA Safety News and Clean Water Weekly , the latter of which is the official publication for the Clean Water Council. NUNCA is also a member of the newly formed Infrastructure Protection Coalition (IPC), which formed in 2021 comprising four other contractor associations. [5] The IPC issued a nationwide report and 52 state reports entitled "811 Emergency" concerning a purported $61 billion in economic waste and inefficiency in the utility location sector. [6]
Utility location is the process of identifying and labeling public utility mains that are underground. These mains may include lines for telecommunication, electricity distribution, natural gas, cable television, fiber optics, traffic lights, street lights, storm drains, water mains, and wastewater pipes. In some locations, major oil and gas pipelines, national defense communication lines, mass transit, rail, and road tunnels also compete for space underground.
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy.
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter in 1953. Members include more than 55,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is an advocacy organization in the United States that represents the country's 19,495 cities, towns, and villages along with 49 state municipal leagues. Created in 1924, it has evolved into a leading membership organization providing education, research, support, and advocacy to city leaders across America. Based in Washington, D.C., it is considered part of the 'Big Seven', a group of organizations that represent local and state government in the United States. The NLC provides training and other resources to municipal officials, holds conferences, and advocates to the federal government on behalf of cities, towns and villages.
The District of Columbia Public Service Commission is an independent quasi-judicial body and regulatory agency responsible for regulating landline telephone, electricity, and gas utility companies operating within the District of Columbia. It was established by the US Congress in 1913.
Water supply and sanitation in the United States involves a number of issues including water scarcity, pollution, a backlog of investment, concerns about the affordability of water for the poorest, and a rapidly retiring workforce. Increased variability and intensity of rainfall as a result of climate change is expected to produce both more severe droughts and flooding, with potentially serious consequences for water supply and for pollution from combined sewer overflows. Droughts are likely to particularly affect the 66 percent of Americans whose communities depend on surface water. As for drinking water quality, there are concerns about disinfection by-products, lead, perchlorates, PFAS and pharmaceutical substances, but generally drinking water quality in the U.S. is good.
The Clean Cities Coalition Network is a coordinated group of nearly 100 coalitions in the United States working in communities across the country to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels, energy-efficient mobility systems, and other fuel-saving technologies and practices. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office facilitates national coordination of the coalitions through its Technology Integration Program. The Network consists of 79 coalitions that work with more than 15,000 local stakeholders that have helped shift nearly 10 billion gasoline gallon equivalents of conventional fuel to alternative fuels or energy efficiency improvements, put more than 1.1 million alternative fuel vehicles on the road, and contributed to the expansion of alternative fueling station infrastructure since 1993. As of early 2020, there were more than 29,000 fueling stations nationwide that provide at least one of the following alternative fuels: ethanol (E85), biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electric, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, renewable natural gas, or propane.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is a trade association representing the transportation construction industry in the United States and is based in Washington, D.C., United States.
The National Rural Water Association (NRWA), with its affiliated state rural water associations, is the largest water and wastewater utility membership organization in the United States of America. The NRWA is a professional organization that supports rural and small water utilities throughout the nation. NRWA and its state affiliates are organized as a non-profit trade association, and represent more than 31,000 water and wastewater utility members.
The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The program was founded in 1996 to provide a framework for research collaborations among universities, large and small businesses, professional societies, government agencies, and worker organizations. Together these parties identify issues in the field of workplace safety and health that require immediate attention based on the number of workers affected, the seriousness of the hazard, and the likelihood that new safety information and approaches can effect a change.
The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) is an American trade association representing and advocating on behalf of the U.S. propane and renewable propane industries. Propane has a low-carbon content, has no methane emissions, is nontoxic, and is designated an approved clean, alternative fuel under the Clean Air Act Amendments.
The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the service organization for approximately 2,000 U.S community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 49 million Americans.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) is the national association representing the U.S. state public service commissioners who regulate essential utility services, including energy, telecommunications, and water. Founded in 1889, the Association is a resource for its members and the regulatory community, providing a venue to set and influence public policy, share best practices, and foster solutions to improve regulation.
EJ Group, formerly East Jordan Iron Works, is an American manufacturer of iron products, headquartered in East Jordan, Michigan. The company manufactures and distributes iron construction castings, fabricated products, composite products, water distribution solutions, and other infrastructure access products for water, sewer, drainage, telecommunications, and utility networks worldwide.
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the oldest and largest business association of engineering companies. It is organized as a federation of 52 state and regional councils with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., comprising thousands of engineering practices throughout the country. It administers extensive lobbying and education programs.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is a coalition of the Departments of Transportation in North American cities.
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), formerly known as PCIA, is an American trade association for wireless providers and companies that build cell phone towers, rooftop wireless sites, and other facilities that transmit wireless communication signals. The Washington Post described the industry as "the people who build all those cell towers so you can actually make those calls, download that data." These technologies are collectively referred to as "wireless telecommunications infrastructure."
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn is an American environmental lawyer and law professor, specializing in chemical and pesticide regulation, water quality issues, water treatment issues, urban development, rule of law, environmental justice, environmental conflict resolution, cooperative federalism, and implementation of the Clean Water Act and the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Dunn was an executive at several environmental management associations, and served as Regional Administrator for New England in the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MoHUUC) is responsible for addressing Egypt's housing issues, with a mandate to provide public housing, drinking water and wastewater treatment utilities, and the planning and subdivision of new urban communities. It is headquartered in Cairo since its inception in 1961, and administers the nation's largest real estate developer, the New Urban Communities Authority, and the largest contractor, the Arab Contractors.
The Building and Construction Trades Department, commonly known as North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), is a trade department of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) with 14 affiliated labor unions in the building trades. It was originally founded by the American Federation of Labor in 1907.