AUGUSTA - A bill to prevent power line electrocutions, sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry, D-Bowdoinham, is now law.
LD 840 will limit liability exemptions for electric utilities when their negligence of overhead high-voltage lines contributes to personal injury or damage to facilities. It will also create greater parity between electric and gas utilities regarding their liability for the hazards associated with their infrastructure. Previously, electric utilities received an exemption in state law not shared by other businesses.
"I appreciate that Gov. Mills allowed this important bill to become law," said Berry. This legislation is a smart and fair compromise that will hold our electric utilities to the same accountability standards as other utility companies. By bearing some portion of the risk, Central Maine Power and Versant will face a greater incentive to follow the rules and to maintain line safety in the future."
The bill stemmed from a 2002 incident in which Bryan Smith, an 18-year-old boatyard worker in Penobscot, was nearly killed and suffered permanent injuries from contact with a Central Maine Power (CMP) line that was kept at 30 feet of clearance, despite repeated requests to move it to the legally required 45.5 feet. CMP was at first required by the courts to pay over $6 million in damages, but that decision was later reversed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on a technicality. In its 2013 opinion, the court determined that CMP could not be held responsible for damages.
Berry represents House District 55, which includes Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Swan Island and most of Richmond. He previously served from 2006 to 2014, the final two years as House majority leader, and returned to the House in 2016.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Berry], c. 812-1111