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<section article="gpu" article_name="Public Utilities" number="5-404" title_number="5" title_name="Powers, Duties, and Prohibitions" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Franchises and Condemnation">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Oil pipeline corporation” means a corporation of this State, any other state, or the United States, that is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>engaged in the business of transporting refined petroleum products by pipeline as a common carrier public service corporation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>subject to the jurisdiction of either the United States Department of Energy (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) or the Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Property” means real property in fee simple or any lesser right, interest, or estate that is necessary for the intrastate or interstate purposes of the oil pipeline corporation or both.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Property” includes:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>privately owned property;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>property owned by a public body; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>property devoted to public use if an acquisition under this section does not materially interfere with that public use.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>An oil pipeline corporation that is operating an oil pipeline that existed in the State on or before July 1, 1978, may acquire by condemnation, in accordance with Title 12 of the Real Property Article, any property necessary to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>operate those existing oil pipelines and appurtenances; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>construct and operate additional oil pipelines and appurtenances along, on, adjacent to, or incidentally deviating not more than 50 feet from the routes followed by the corporation’s existing rights–of–way.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The right to acquire property under this section may be exercised only in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore City.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An oil pipeline corporation shall restore to its original condition any property used for construction or maintenance of a pipeline.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the construction or maintenance of the pipeline and the restoration of the property shall be completed within 7 days after the start of the construction or maintenance on that parcel of property.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>If weather conditions or the nature of the terrain make completion within 7 days unfeasible, the oil pipeline corporation shall complete the construction or maintenance of the pipeline and the restoration of the property within 30 days.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The right to acquire property under this section may not be exercised unless the oil pipeline corporation, whether or not it is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, first obtains an order from the Commission finding the acquisition to be in the public interest.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Before the Commission makes a finding and issues an order under this subsection, the Commission shall hold a public hearing.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The oil pipeline corporation shall give written notice of the public hearing to all affected property owners.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>This section does not affect any other law of the State that applies generally or specifically to oil pipeline corporations.</text>
  </level>
</section>
