AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Transportation will begin its annual vegetation control program along state-controlled railway systems starting Monday, June 21, and continuing through Thursday, June 24 on rail lines through out the state.
The DOT manages several rail tracks that are used by freight haulers including the Rockland branch from Rockland to Brunswick, which is an active rail line, the department said in a press release Friday. The Lewiston Lower Road and Augusta branch rail lines are used on an occasional basis. Other tracks managed by DOT may not be in active use but must also be maintained to meet both state and federal standards that all railroads are required to comply with nationally.
The following tracks are scheduled for spraying during the week of June 21: The Calais Branch from Washington Junction to Brewer; the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Line from Burnham to Thorndike; the Rockland Branch from Rockland to Brunswick; the Augusta Lower Road from Brunswick to Augusta; the Lewiston Lower Road in Lisbon Falls; and the Mountain Division Line from West Baldwin to Westbrook;.
“Vegetation management is a critical component in maintaining rail for safe operation,” Bob Moosmann, DOT statewide vegetation manager, said in the release. “Among the most serious potential problems that railroads face is derailment and the potential for fire that starts within the rail corridor.”
The department researches all vegetation control materials and approves only those with the lowest environmental risks, as well as the lowest health risks for applicators. The materials scheduled for use on the rail lines in June include Razor (glyphosate) and Oust Extra (sulfometuron methyl and metsulfuron methyl). As part of its commitment to environmental and worker protection, the department uses the lowest rates possible for control of vegetation.