SENATE DOCKET, NO. 435        FILED ON: 1/16/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1852

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to natural gas pipeline surveys.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

 

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

2/1/2017

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

2/1/2017

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/3/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 435        FILED ON: 1/16/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1852

By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1852) of Anne M. Gobi, Steven S. Howitt, Barbara A. L'Italien and James B. Eldridge for legislation relative to natural gas pipeline surveys.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to natural gas pipeline surveys.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking Section 75D in its entirety and inserting in its place thereof the following section:-

Section 75D. Survey preliminary to eminent domain proceedings; applicability to natural gas pipelines

The provisions of section 72A shall be applicable to natural gas pipeline companies, as defined in section 75B. Notwithstanding any other provision of Section 75, no natural gas pipeline company shall be permitted to submit a petition to the department for survey access or to enter upon lands for survey access preliminary to eminent domain proceedings and as provided in section 72A, unless such natural gas pipeline company (a) has been issued with respect to the project for which survey access is sought either (i) a certificate of public convenience and necessity under chapter 15B of the United States Code, or, as applicable for intrastate pipelines, (ii) any required certificate or approval required pursuant to any local or state law, including a certificate under section 69K, and (b) has secured a final, unappealable adjudication of an order granting the applicable certificate as set forth in subsection (a). Any petition filed with the department under this section seventy-five D shall be subject to an adjudicatory hearing before the department.