Press Release: Call for Applications: Funding Available for Safe Digging Education and Awareness

(DENVER) - The Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) announced today it's now accepting applications for funding to support safe digging practices through the Damage Prevention Fund. This is the second year OPS has disbursed up to $20,000 in grants from the fund.

The Damage Prevention Fund consists of fines collected from parties who violated the Excavation Requirements Law. These funds are repurposed for educational programming to prevent underground facility damage and to keep workers and the public safe. The Division's Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission oversees the Damage Prevention Fund and will evaluate the grant applications to select the awardees.

"We're eager to see new applications for another year of community impact by promoting and advancing safe digging practices across the state," said OPS Division Director Mahesh Albuquerque. "During our first year, the Safety Commission awarded funding to support the production of the Colorado Springs Utilities' Positive Response video in English and Spanish and Colorado 811's 2025 Damage Prevention Summit & Expo. Both projects provided different educational tools to the public, and we're looking forward to seeing what our partners come up with this year."

To apply for a Damage Prevention Fund grant, go to Bidnet to access the grant application (a free account is required to view details and apply). A pre-application conference will be held on March 23, 2026 at 10 a.m. Potential grant applicants can join the pre-application via Google Meet here. Completed grant applications, along with the required supporting documentation, must be submitted by April 24, 2026 to be considered.

Senate Bill 18-167 added the Safety Commission to the Excavation Requirements Law to enforce the law by reviewing complaints of alleged violations and developing best practices. The Safety Commission has been working diligently to accomplish these goals since they began their work in January 2019. The best practices are available to review on ops.colorado.gov here.

About the Division of Oil and Public Safety

Housed within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Division of Oil and Public Safety is responsible for a variety of regulatory functions related to environmental and consumer protection and public safety. Program oversight includes amusement rides and devices, explosives use and storage, boilers, conveyances, fuel products, underground and above-ground petroleum storage tanks, cleanup of petroleum spills, reimbursement of cleanup costs to qualifying storage tank owners and operators, and administration of the oversight committee for underground facilities. The Division's oversight also includes the Underground Damage Prevention Safety Commission and Fund, which includes enforcement oversight for Colorado 811.

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