SECTION 1. Section 14 of chapter 87 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-
(h) The utility company shall submit a vegetation management plan for local approval in connection with any planned work in a municipality, regardless of any easement or right of way. The vegetation management plan shall be submitted to the local municipality and kept on record by the municipality, and shall be subject to a public comment period by impacted residents. Prior to the commencement of a project by a utility company, the vegetation management plan must receive local approval and any potential negative property damage or impact on property value shall be addressed by the utility company. A utility company in violation of this subsection shall be subject to fees and penalties, determined by the department of public utilities.
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.