Atmos Energy : Celebrates 811 Day by Planting 500 Trees

Atmos Energy Celebrates 811 Day by Planting 500 TreesPartnership with Texas Trees Foundation will span 25 cities across Texas

DALLAS - Aug. 11, 2020 - As the nation observes 811 Day, an annual initiative led by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to ensure the practice of safe digging, Atmos Energy today announced a partnership with Texas Trees Foundation to plant 500 trees in 25 cities across the state. Neighborhood parks and trails are cherished by Texans as ideal public spaces for exercise, relaxation and peace to escape the new normal of 'homebody' life, so the first trees planted will be at Walnut Hill Park in Dallas, which was battered by a series of tornados last October, in order to further restore the park to its traditional beauty.

'Trees provide relief from the oppressive summer heat while improving air quality and the quality of life in communities we serve,' said Oric Walker Atmos Energy vice president of public affairs. 'We are proud to partner with Texas Trees Foundation on this initiative to enrich our environment and remind everyone to dial 8-1-1 before any digging project, no matter how large or small. Calling 811 is free, it's safe and it's required by law.'

In addition to Walnut Hill Park, trees will be planted in Fort Worth and Garland in the D-FW metroplex and in cities further south including Corsicana, Waco and Round Rock.

'After the October 2019 tornado, our urban foresters found over 3,500 trees were destroyed. With that many trees in need of replanting, it is important to make sure residents know 811 is the first call to make before digging a hole,' said Janette Monear, Texas Trees Foundation president and CEO. 'We are grateful to be partnering with Atmos Energy to begin restoring the tree canopy by replacing 500 trees in affected neighborhoods and help people recover both physically and mentally. These trees will not only provide shade to reduce the urban heat island, but they will add $645,710 in environmental savings and health benefits during the life of the trees.'

Many people are spending more time at home these days, and summer is a peak season to work on outdoor home improvement projects - so it is more important than ever that residents and contractors dig safely by first calling 811 to have underground utility lines marked. Because the stakes are so high, Atmos Energy asks homeowners and contractors to delay non-essential digging. Please take extreme caution if a project is essential, and make sure to alwayscall 811 first to have utilities marked before digging.

Call 811 is a free service that has proven to be the foremost preventive measure in excavation safety and damage prevention. Everyone who dials 8-1-1 a few days before digging is connected to a local notification center that will take the caller's information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags, or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.

'We are honored to partner with Atmos Energy for this initiative and encourage anyone planting a tree to connect with 811 at least two days prior to digging,' said Chris Stovall, Texas 811 president and CEO.

Visit https://www.texas811.org// for more information about Texas 811 and safe digging practices, and sign the Atmos Energy 'Pledge to Call 811' to become an 811 ambassador at https://www.atmosenergy.com/safety/sign-call-811-pledge.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation is the nation's largest fully regulated, natural gas-only distributor of safe, clean, efficient and affordable energy. As part of our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services, we are modernizing our business and our infrastructure while continuing to invest in safety, innovation, environmental sustainability and our communities. An S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, Atmos Energy serves more than 3 million distribution customers in over 1,400 communities across eight states and manages proprietary pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. Find us online at http://www.atmosenergy.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.