(1) The advance notice provisions of this chapter shall not be required of any person making an emergency excavation at times of emergency involving an imminent danger to life, health or property or a customer service outage. However, every person who shall engage in such emergency excavation shall take all necessary and reasonable precautions to avoid or minimize interference with or damage to existing underground utility lines and underground facilities in and near the excavation area, and shall notify Mississippi 811, Incorporated, of the specifically designated emergency excavation as promptly as reasonably possible so that operators may locate and mark the location of underground utility lines and underground facilities in the specifically designated emergency excavation area. In addition to the written, electronic or telephonic notice information required in Section 77-13-5(1)(a), the excavator also shall provide contact information for a person who is or will be present at the site of the emergency excavation and will be readily available to discuss the emergency excavation with operators. In the event of damage to or dislocation of any underground utility lines or underground facilities caused by any such emergency excavation work, the person responsible for the excavation shall immediately notify the operator of the damaged or dislocated underground facilities of the damage or dislocation.
(2) An imminent danger to life, health, property or customer service exists whenever there is a substantial likelihood that injury, loss of life, health or customer services, or substantial property loss could result before the person responsible for the excavation or demolition can fully comply with the notification and response procedures required in Sections 77-13-7 and 77-13-17.
(3) Any misrepresentation of either an emergency excavation or an impending emergency as defined in Section 77-13-3, shall constitute a violation of this chapter.