Are You Breaking A Maine Law Every Time You Shovel Your Driveway?

If you, like a lot of people living in Maine's towns and cities, have a small (short) driveway, there is a good chance you don't pay someone to plow it.  Sure, having a plow guy takes one task off your plate, but if you have a short driveaway it often is not worth it.  Instead, you shovel or snow-blow your driveaway and walkways.

Depending on where you put the snow, you could be looking at a fine.

According to WCSH 6 report from early in 2019, police are warning people about breaking they law when they shovel or snow-blow.  They're reminding people it is illegal to put your snow into the street.

According to a 1993 law, "A person may not place and allow to remain on a public way snow or slush that has not accumulated there naturally."

But why?  It seems like the easy fix for big storms or when we have a year where we get a ton of snow.  You toss it in the street and then the municipal plows make it go away.  Right?

Wrong!

First, it can make it dangerous for people driving down your road or street.  Can you imagine driving down what you think is a plowed street in your low-to-the-ground car and accidentally running over a massive pile of formerly wet snow that has hardened into a chunk of ice?  Yeah, you'd be pretty ticked.  Also, anything you toss into the street doesn't just go away.  Instead, it becomes a hump at the end of your neighbor's driveway.

So, please be safe and courteous to the other residents of your town.  Instead, find a place on your own property to put your snow.

Oh yea, there is a fine for violating the law.  As of 2019, the fine was $205 for violating the statute.