Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 199 - Utilities Commission
Chapter 10 - Intrastate Gas Pipelines and Underground Gas Storage
Rule 199-10.2 - Informational Meetings

Universal Citation: IA Admin Code 199-10.2

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 13, December 25, 2024

Informational meetings shall be held for any proposed pipeline project five miles or more in length, including both the current project and future anticipated extensions, and which is to be operated at a pressure in excess of 150 pounds per square inch. A separate informational meeting shall be held in each county in which real property or property rights would be affected.

(1) Time frame for holding meeting. Informational meetings shall be held not less than 30 days nor more than two years prior to the filing of the petition for pipeline permit.

(2) Facilities. A pipeline company shall be responsible for all negotiations and compensation for a suitable facility to be used for each informational meeting, including but not limited to a building or facility which is in substantial compliance with any applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, including both the Title III regulations at 28 CFR Part 36, Subpart D, and the 2004 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines at 36 CFR Part 1191, Appendices B and D, where such a building or facility is reasonably available.

(3) Location. The informational meeting location shall be reasonably accessible to all persons who may be affected by the granting of a permit or who have an interest in the proposed pipeline.

(4) Commission approval. A pipeline company proposing to schedule an informational meeting shall file a request to schedule the informational meeting and shall include a proposed time and date for the informational meeting, an alternate time and date, and a description of the proposed project and route. The pipeline company shall be notified within ten days of the filing of the request whether the request is approved or alternate times and dates are required. Once a date and time for the informational meeting have been approved, the pipeline company shall file the location of the informational meeting and a copy of the pipeline company's presentation with the commission.

(5) Notices. Announcement by mailed and published notice of each informational meeting shall be given to persons as listed on the tax assessment rolls as responsible for payment of real estate taxes imposed on the property and those persons in possession of or residing on the property in the corridor in which the pipeline company intends to seek easements.

a. The notice shall include the following:
(1) The name of the pipeline company;

(2) The pipeline company's principal place of business;

(3) The general description and purpose of the proposed project;

(4) The general nature of the right-of-way desired;

(5) The possibility that the right-of-way may be acquired by condemnation if approved by the commission;

(6) A map showing the route of the proposed project;

(7) A description of the process used by the commission in making a decision on whether to approve a permit, including the right to take property by eminent domain;

(8) That the landowner and any other affected person have a right to be present at the meeting and to file objections with the commission;

(9) Designation of the time, date and place of the meeting;

(10) A copy of the statement of damage claims as required by paragraph 10.3(3)"b"; and

(11) The following statement: Persons with disabilities requiring assistive services or devices to observe or participate should contact the Utilities Commission at (515)725-7300 in advance of the scheduled date to request accommodations.

b. The pipeline company shall cause a written copy of the meeting notice to be served, by certified United States mail with return receipt requested, on all persons as listed on the tax assessment rolls as responsible for payment of real estate taxes imposed on the property and persons in possession of or residing on the property whose addresses are known. The certified meeting notice shall be deposited in the United States mail not less than 30 days prior to the date of the meeting.

c. The pipeline company shall cause the meeting notice, including the map, to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in each county where the pipeline is proposed to be located at least one week and not more than three weeks prior to the date of the meeting. Publication shall be considered as notice to persons listed on the tax assessment rolls as responsible for paying the real estate taxes imposed on the property whose addresses are not known, provided a good-faith effort to obtain the addresses can be demonstrated by the pipeline company. The maps used in the published notice shall clearly delineate the pipeline route.

d. The pipeline company shall file prior to the informational meeting an affidavit that describes the good-faith effort the pipeline company undertook to locate the addresses of all affected persons. The affidavit shall be signed by a corporate officer or an attorney representing the pipeline company.

(6) Personnel. The pipeline company shall provide qualified personnel to present the following information at the informational meeting:

a. Service requirements and planning which have resulted in the proposed project.

b. When the pipeline will be constructed.

c. In general terms, the elements involved in pipeline construction.

d. In general terms, the rights which the pipeline company will seek to acquire through easements.

e. Procedures to be followed in contacting the affected persons for specific negotiations in acquiring voluntary easements.

f. Methods and factors used in arriving at an offered price for voluntary easements, including the range of cash amount for each component.

g. Manner in which voluntary easement payments are made, including discussion of conditional easements, signing fees and time of payment.

h. Other factors or damages not included in the easement for which compensation is made, including features of interest to affected persons but not limited to computation of amounts and manner of payment.

(7) Notice to county board of supervisors. The pipeline company shall send notice of the request for an informational meeting to the county board of supervisors in each county where the pipeline is proposed to be located. The pipeline company shall request from the board of supervisors the name of the county inspector, a professional engineer who shall conduct the on-site inspection required in Iowa Code section 479.29(2). The pipeline company shall provide the name and contact information of the county inspector to the landowners and other affected persons at the meeting, if known.

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