101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3093

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anna Moeller

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/3-127 new
220 ILCS 5/15-401

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. In its determination of public convenience and necessity for a proposed pipeline or facility designed or intended to transport crude oil and any alternate locations for such proposed pipeline or facility, requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to consider any evidence presented by a party or other entity that participates in the proceeding regarding the impact of the proposed pipeline or facility on environmental externalities. Provides that "environmental externalities" means benefits or costs, generated as a by-product of an economic activity, that do not accrue to the parties involved in the activity and are benefits or costs that manifest themselves through changes in the physical or biological environment.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Section 15-401 and by adding Section 3-127 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/3-127 new)
7    Sec. 3-127. Environmental externalities. "Environmental
8externalities" means benefits or costs, generated as a
9by-product of an economic activity, that do not accrue to the
10parties involved in the activity and are benefits or costs that
11manifest themselves through changes in the physical or
12biological environment.
 
13    (220 ILCS 5/15-401)
14    Sec. 15-401. Licensing.
15    (a) No person shall operate as a common carrier by pipeline
16unless the person possesses a certificate in good standing
17authorizing it to operate as a common carrier by pipeline. No
18person shall begin or continue construction of a pipeline or
19other facility, other than the repair or replacement of an
20existing pipeline or facility, for use in operations as a
21common carrier by pipeline unless the person possesses a
22certificate in good standing.

 

 

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1    (b) Requirements for issuance. The Commission, after a
2hearing, shall grant an application for a certificate
3authorizing operations as a common carrier by pipeline, in
4whole or in part, to the extent that it finds that the
5application was properly filed; a public need for the service
6exists; the applicant is fit, willing, and able to provide the
7service in compliance with this Act, Commission regulations,
8and orders; and the public convenience and necessity requires
9issuance of the certificate. Evidence encompassing any of the
10factors described in items (1) through (10) (9) of this
11subsection (b) that is submitted by the applicant, any other
12party, or the Commission's staff shall also be considered by
13the Commission in determining whether a public need for the
14service exists under either current or expected conditions. The
15changes in this subsection (b) are intended to be confirmatory
16of existing law.
17    In its determination of public convenience and necessity
18for a proposed pipeline or facility designed or intended to
19transport crude oil and any alternate locations for such
20proposed pipeline or facility, the Commission shall consider,
21but not be limited to, the following:
22        (1) any evidence presented by the Illinois
23    Environmental Protection Agency regarding the
24    environmental impact of the proposed pipeline or other
25    facility;
26        (2) any evidence presented by the Illinois Department

 

 

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1    of Transportation regarding the impact of the proposed
2    pipeline or facility on traffic safety, road construction,
3    or other transportation issues;
4        (3) any evidence presented by the Department of Natural
5    Resources regarding the impact of the proposed pipeline or
6    facility on any conservation areas, forest preserves,
7    wildlife preserves, wetlands, or any other natural
8    resource;
9        (4) any evidence of the effect of the pipeline upon the
10    economy, infrastructure, and public safety presented by
11    local governmental units that will be affected by the
12    proposed pipeline or facility;
13        (5) any evidence of the effect of the pipeline upon
14    property values presented by property owners who will be
15    affected by the proposed pipeline or facility, provided
16    that the Commission need not hear evidence as to the actual
17    valuation of property such as that as would be presented to
18    and determined by the courts under the Eminent Domain Act;
19        (6) any evidence presented by the Department of
20    Commerce and Economic Opportunity regarding the current
21    and future local, State-wide, or regional economic effect,
22    direct or indirect, of the proposed pipeline or facility
23    including, but not limited to, property values, employment
24    rates, and residential and business development;
25        (7) any evidence addressing the factors described in
26    items (1) through (9) of this subsection (b) or other

 

 

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1    relevant factors that is presented by any other State
2    agency, the applicant, a party, or other entity that
3    participates in the proceeding, including evidence
4    presented by the Commission's staff;
5        (8) any evidence presented by a State agency or unit of
6    State or local government as to the current and future
7    national, State-wide, or regional economic effects of the
8    proposed pipeline, direct or indirect, as they affect
9    residents or businesses in Illinois, including, but not
10    limited to, such impacts as the ability of manufacturers in
11    Illinois to meet public demand for related services and
12    products and to compete in the national and regional
13    economies, improved access of suppliers to regional and
14    national shipping grids, the ability of the State to access
15    funds made available for energy infrastructure by the
16    federal government, mitigation of foreseeable spikes in
17    price affecting Illinois residents or businesses due to
18    sudden changes in supply or transportation capacity, and
19    the likelihood that the proposed construction will
20    substantially encourage related investment in the State's
21    energy infrastructure and the creation of energy related
22    jobs; and
23        (9) any evidence presented by any State or federal
24    governmental entity as to how the proposed pipeline or
25    facility will affect the security, stability, and
26    reliability of energy in the State or in the region; and .

 

 

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1        (10) any evidence presented by a party or other entity
2    that participates in the proceeding regarding the impact of
3    the proposed pipeline or facility on environmental
4    externalities.
5    In its written order, the Commission shall address all of
6the evidence presented, and if the order is contrary to any of
7the evidence, the Commission shall state the reasons for its
8determination with regard to that evidence.
9    (c) An application filed pursuant to this Section may
10request either that the Commission review and approve a
11specific route for a pipeline, or that the Commission review
12and approve a project route width that identifies the areas in
13which the pipeline would be located, with such width ranging
14from the minimum width required for a pipeline right-of-way up
15to 500 feet in width. The purpose for allowing the option of
16review and approval of a project route width is to provide
17increased flexibility during the construction process to
18accommodate specific landowner requests, avoid environmentally
19sensitive areas, or address special environmental permitting
20requirements.
21    (d) A common carrier by pipeline may request any other
22approvals as may be needed from the Commission for completion
23of the pipeline under Article VIII or any other Article or
24Section of this Act at the same time, and as part of the same
25application, as its request for a certificate of good standing
26under this Section. The Commission's rules shall ensure that

 

 

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1notice of such a consolidated application is provided within 30
2days after filing to the landowners along a proposed project
3route, or to the potentially affected landowners within a
4proposed project route width, using the notification
5procedures set forth in the Commission's rules. If a
6consolidated application is submitted, then the requests shall
7be heard on a consolidated basis and a decision on all issues
8shall be entered within the time frames stated in subsection
9(e) of this Section. In such a consolidated proceeding, the
10Commission may consider evidence relating to the same factors
11identified in items (1) through (9) of subsection (b) of this
12Section in granting authority under Section 8-503 of this Act.
13If the Commission grants approval of a project route width as
14opposed to a specific project route, then the common carrier by
15pipeline must, as it finalizes the actual pipeline alignment
16within the project route width, file its final list of affected
17landowners with the Commission at least 14 days in advance of
18beginning construction on any tract within the project route
19width and also provide the Commission with at least 14 days
20notice before filing a complaint for eminent domain in the
21circuit court with regard to any tract within the project route
22width.
23    (e) The Commission shall make its determination on any
24application filed pursuant to this Section and issue its final
25order within one year after the date that the application is
26filed unless an extension is granted as provided in this

 

 

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1subsection (e). The Commission may extend the one-year time
2period for issuing a final order on an application filed
3pursuant to this Section up to an additional 6 months if it
4finds, following the filing of initial testimony by the parties
5to the proceeding, that due to the number of affected
6landowners and other parties in the proceeding and the
7complexity of the contested issues before it, additional time
8is needed to ensure a complete review of the evidence. If an
9extension is granted, then the schedule for the proceeding
10shall not be further extended beyond this 6-month period, and
11the Commission shall issue its final order within the 6-month
12extension period. The Commission shall also have the power to
13establish an expedited schedule for making its determination on
14an application filed pursuant to this Section in less than one
15year if it finds that the public interest requires the setting
16of such an expedited schedule.
17    (f) Within 6 months after the Commission's entry of an
18order approving either a specific route or a project route
19width under this Section, the common carrier by pipeline that
20receives such order may file supplemental applications for
21minor route deviations outside the approved project route
22width, allowing for additions or changes to the approved route
23to address environmental concerns encountered during
24construction or to accommodate landowner requests. Notice of a
25supplemental application shall be provided to any State agency
26that appeared in the original proceeding or immediately

 

 

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1affected landowner at the time such supplemental application is
2filed. The route deviations shall be approved by the Commission
3within 45 days, unless a written objection is filed to the
4supplemental application within 20 days after the date such
5supplemental application is filed. Hearings on any such
6supplemental application shall be limited to the
7reasonableness of the specific variance proposed, and the
8issues of public need or public convenience or necessity for
9the project or fitness of the applicant shall not be reopened
10in the supplemental proceeding.
11    (g) The rules of the Commission may include additional
12options for expediting the issuance of permits and certificates
13under this Section. Such rules may provide that, in the event
14that an applicant elects to use an option provided for in such
15rules; (1) the applicant must request the use of the expedited
16process at the time of filing its application for a license or
17permit with the Commission; (2) the Commission may engage
18experts and procure additional administrative resources that
19are reasonably necessary for implementing the expedited
20process; and (3) the applicant must bear any additional costs
21incurred by the Commission as a result of the applicant's use
22of such expedited process.
23    (h) Duties and obligations of common carriers by pipeline.
24Each common carrier by pipeline shall provide adequate service
25to the public at reasonable rates and without discrimination.
26(Source: P.A. 97-405, eff. 8-16-11.)