As your local electric provider, itʼs our job at South Central Indiana REMC to make sure your service is safe, seamless and dependable. One way we do that is by controlling the vegetation along public and private property that could interfere with our ability to maintain our service lines.
Over the coming months, ProtecTerra, a vegetation maintenance company, will spray the brush and trees that grow in these areas, helping us protect our infrastructure. Without this process, it can become difficult for SCI crews to reach lines and transformers for routine maintenance or in the event of an emergency.
Herbicide will be applied to the entire width of access corridors one or two growing seasons after a mechanical clearing method, such as mowing. Mowing results in comparatively fast regrowth, so the use of herbicides after mowing allows us to limit the number of return visits weʼll need to make. This minimizes inconvenience for you and eliminates the repeated need for large machinery on your property. Herbicide application methods will vary between tractors, trucks, utility terrain vehicles and people on foot with backpacks.
Concerned about safety? Let us put your mind at ease. ProtecTerra will be using herbicides approved by and registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These herbicides have undergone extensive EPA testing, and the application process is also regulated at the state level through applicator training and certification.
ProtecTerra will not be spraying maintained areas of access corridors that include ornamental plantings or yard trees. Lawns, pastures, hay fields and active agriculture areas will also be exempt from application.
We believe the ecosystem benefits from herbicide use. Frequent use of large machinery, like mowers, creates a disturbance for wildlife and native vegetation — and the noise involved can also be disruptive for homeowners living near areas we maintain. Since herbicides can be used to target unwanted growth, their use can also promote biodiversity through the growth of native plants and wildflowers, which helps bees, butterflies, birds and wild animals flourish.
Please remember, your service is our main priority. Maintenance of access corridors allows us to make sure we can restore power quickly when necessary and keep it uninterrupted at all other times.
We understand you may have questions or concerns. If so, please contact Brent Bertram at ProtecTerra at 859-230-9921.