HARPSWELL — A Harpswell legislator is working to get roads opened faster when major storms take down trees and power lines, as did the wind storm of October 2017.

Rep. Jay McCreight’s bill to addresses concerns over the length of time large downed trees — many entangled with power lines — blocked public roads.

On Thursday, the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee unanimously recommended passage of the bill.

“The bill was inspired by the October 2017 storm, which hit so many Maine communities hard,” McCreight stated in a press release. “In my district alone, residents were left without power for days, and, in some areas, over a week. After Harpswell selectmen asked me what towns could do to facilitate the recovery process, this bill began to take shape.”

A week after the storm, nearly 500 Central Maine Power Co. customers were still without power in Harpswell. It was expected it would still be days at that point before power would be restored along many of the side roads there.

The initial version of McCreight’s bill, which was opposed by CMP, sought to allow municipalities to hire qualified professionals to address downed electrical wires when there is widespread storm damage. That proposal raised safety and regulatory concerns.

McCreight worked with representatives from CMP and Emera, the Maine Emergency Management System, municipal officials, statehouse staff and others to develop an amendment that shifts the focus to preparedness in emergency situations. It requires electric utilities to develop and follow an emergency plan that stresses reopening roads and restoring power.  

“The amended bill is a comprehensive plan that addresses the management, staffing and contracted services needed to help roads stay open and power stay on during emergency situations,” McCreight said.

The bill also increases communication among electric utility companies, county emergency management agencies and municipalities to ensure damaged poles, downed trees and exposed wires aren’t left to linger. 

Harpswell Town Manager Kristi Eiane said local officials and many residents felt CMP did not marshal the resources needed to open roads, particularly in rural areas, in a timely manner following the October 2017 storm.

“The company’s response was not satisfactory and left many people stranded in their homes for days unable to get out by vehicle or to have vehicles get in with supplies, such as fuel trucks for delivering fuel for running generators,” Eiane said. “In many instances, people could accept the circumstances of being without power, but not the inability to get in and out of their road.”

Some residents began clearing the roads themselves, she said.

Harpswell, which has limited commercial activity or businesses, was low on the priority list for power restoration, said Arthur Howe, Harpswell’s fire administrator and emergency management agent.

Even six days into restoration efforts, the town still had limited or inaccessible roads, “so we couldn’t drive or normal fire apparatus down some of the roads without I would say a significant risk hazard we undertook to do that, so that was very frustrating for us,” Howe said.

McCreight’s bill requires CMP to enact a revised emergency plan to be reviewed annually by the legislative committee. 

“What I think we’re seeing with the pressure of the bill … is we’re seeing some significant efforts put into emergency planning, and it’s not that CMP has been indifferent to planning, but we’re seeing a renewed effort if you will on behalf of CMP,” Howe said. “So in that sense, I think we’ve made some headway.”

CMP spokeswoman Catharine Hartnett said CMP supports the amended bill as well.

“We had had an opportunity to work closely with MEMA, the (Public Utilities Commission) and Emera with Rep. McCreight on language of the bill and feel it now well represents everyone’s interest, and we’re very happy with the way it came out,” she said. “It ensures safety and designates response roles appropriately.”

Hartnett said since that storm, CMP has been working very hard with local response officials and reaching out to local officials to make sure everyone knows what the priority levels are in an emergency storm event.

“This does that,” she said. “It’s a similar effort on a statewide basis with all of the agencies and companies responsible for responding, so that can just be a good thing for the people in Maine and everyone involved.”

The full Legislature will take up McCreight’s bill in the coming days.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.