AUGUSTA, Maine — Liquified propane lines are now officially included in Maine's 'Dig Safe' laws.
The move was the subject of a bill introduced in the wake of the deadly September 2019 blast at the LEAP Inc. facility in Farmington.
“These lines are dangerous and need to be carefully tended to when digging or building near them," said Representative Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham), who sponsored the legislation. "I’m relieved we’ll be making Mainers safer and potentially preventing another tragedy like Farmington.”
The blast was caused by a propane leak. That leak was determined to be caused by a severed gas line that was ruptured when a post was installed into the ground.
The explosion killed Farmington's fire captain, Michael Bell, and injured seven others. Larry Lord, the maintenance worker at the LEAP Inc. facility has been hospitalized since, and is expected to return home later this week.
According to the release, the bill was classified as emergency legislation and took immediate effect when it was signed on March 17, 2020.
“Our community is still just beginning to recover from the LEAP explosion,” said Representative Scott Landry (D-Farmington), a co-sponsor of the measure. “We have been supporting each other as we heal and rebuild. It’s a comfort to know that the Legislature had our back when we asked for a law that could stop this from happening in other towns.”