Test

EX.38, Horizontal Drill Underground Cable Install Equipment Grounding 15July26.

AT&T-contracted cable-installation crews working in the area apparently understand the importance of grounding by installing a grounding electrode on the drilling machine. The Vermeer cable drill can extend approximately 300 m (1,000 ft.), making it susceptible to lightning strikes and power surges if it contacts buried energized conductors. Industry-standard safety practices require the grounding of long conductors—such as pipes, wires, and cables—as established in various safety codes, including NFPA 70/NEC, NESC, SPS 314, and SPS 316.

We have documented numerous Franklin home demarcations and cable pedestals associated with Spectrum/Time Warner/Charter that have missing coaxial grounding blocks and/or grounding-bonding wires. In other cases, these components are badly corroded or have been disconnected and not reattached after cable locating. See EX.01 and EX.36.

Rules of Evidence: WRE 908.01(3) (hearsay); FRE Rule 406 (habit and routine practice); common practice. The evidence was found in a public right-of-way on July 15, 2026.