Posted: June 9
Updated: Today at 6:44 AM

State halts road contractor work

Kennebec Journal Staff

CHELSEA — A road contractor under county and federal graft investigations had town-authorized work on Tasker Road halted by the state Wednesday for failing to hold proper permits.

DIG IT: Dennis Hayden, left, of the Maine Public Utilities Commission damage prevention program advises Marshall Swan to stop grading the Tasker Road in Chelsea Wednesday morning. Swan was awarded a bid to grade eight dirt roads in the community. Hayden advised Swan that he violated state dig safe laws by grading without a permit.

Staff photo by Andy Molloy

Marshall Swan — owner of Marshall Swan Construction and the husband of embattled Selectman Carole Swan — was warned for violating Dig Safe laws.

The town recently hired Marshall Swan to grade eight dirt roads for $2,900, said Town Manager Angela Gordon, whose official duties include those as town road commissioner.

The Dig Safe System is a communications network based in Massachusetts that contractors, property owners and others are supposed to contact before digging. Maine is one of the five states in the system.

State law also requires anyone who digs to notify utility companies before starting a job.

Although extremely rare, the Maine Public Utilities Commission could levy fines against Swan of $500 to $5,000 if he continues working on Tasker Road without a permit.

Dennis Hayden, of the PUC’s underground damage prevention program, said he stopped Swan on Tasker Road to see if he had the proper permits Wednesday morning.

“He did not have correct permitting,” Hayden said Wednesday. “It’s still under investigation at this time. It appears that he is in violation. We have no authority to stop him, but

Article source: http://feeds.stateline.org/~r/StatelineorgRss-Transportation/~3/HsgScAhPzsE/state-halts-road-contractor-work_2011-06-08.html