HISTORY OF SUBSURFACE UTILITY ENGINEERING

I’ve been told that the SUEA Conference was a GREAT conference. My thanks to all the organizers, moderators, speakers, panel members, and attendees for making it happen.

The Subsurface Utility Engineering Association (SUEA) was officially launched on July 26, 2018. Once convened, John Palatiello (Executive Director), John Berrettini (President of Board of Directors), Nick Zembillas and other Board Members played significant roles. Also, Jim Anspach, who was a speaker at the “kick off” conference. Meetings with Federal agencies and members of Congress ensued, a membership campaign was initiated, and a second conference was held a year later, again in Washington, DC.

Shortly thereafter, COVID hit, putting in-person events on hold and threatening the growth of the fledgling new association. Webinars were held to keep the members engaged and to help recruit new firms to the membership throughout the pandemic. In addition, SUEA worked with the Department of Homeland Security and the Governors of several states to assure that SUE services were defined as critical and essential, thus enabling businesses to remain open and employees to keep working throughout the pandemic. Also, another in-person conference was held in Denver in the summer of 2022. More than 100 people attended and an exhibit hall was sold out.

Today. in addition to growing the membership base to now include more than 70 organizations, SUEA has accomplished the following:

• Hosted five national conferences.
• Worked with the Department of Homeland Security and the Governors of several states to assure that SUE services were defined as critical and essential, enabling businesses to remain open and workers to keep working throughout the pandemic.
• Implemented webinar programs for business, policy, and technical continuing education.
• Worked with Congress and Federal agencies on infrastructure legislation, PHMSA reauthorization, and a project labor agreement exemption.
• Worked with the Department of Homeland Security on a national underground asset register, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on its SUE requirements; and with NCEES and several firms to provide more clarity on the performance of SUE services and the status of state PE and LS licensing laws governing the practice.
• Was part of efforts to protect GPS from spectrum interference, working with Congress and other stakeholders.
• Was involved in the implementation of the Infrastructure Act, as well as on Federal procurement reform.
• Was involved in several states that are looking at potential legislation similar to the law enacted in Colorado.

In 2022, SUEA signed an MOU with the UESI of ASCE agreeing on respective roles and responsibilities and cooperative activities so as to avoid unnecessary duplication. This was BIG. These are the groups that will be working together on major activities in the future, possibly including the next ASCE 38.