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237.04 Wires crossing or paralleling utility lines; rules.

(a) The department shall determine and promulgate reasonable rules covering the maintenance and operation, also the nature, location, and character of the construction to be used, where telephone, telegraph, electric light, power, or other electric wires of any kind, or any natural gas pipelines, cross, or more or less parallel the lines of any railroad, interurban railway, or any other similar public service corporation; and, to this end, shall formulate and from time to time, issue general rules covering each class of construction, maintenance, and operation of such electric wire or natural gas pipeline crossing, or paralleling, under the various conditions existing; and the department, upon the complaint of any person, railroad, interurban railway, municipal utility, cooperative electric association, or other public utility claiming to be injuriously affected or subjected to hazard by any such crossing or paralleling lines constructed or about to be constructed, shall, after a hearing, make such order and prescribe such terms and conditions for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the lines in question as may be just and reasonable.

(b) The department may, upon request of any municipal utility, electric cooperative association, or public utility, determine the just and reasonable charge which a railroad, or owner of an abandoned railroad right-of-way, can prescribe for a new or existing crossing of a railroad right-of-way by an electric or gas line, based on the diminution in value caused by the crossing of the right-of-way by the electric or gas line. This section shall not be construed to eliminate the right of a public utility, municipal utility, or electric cooperative association to have any of the foregoing issues determined pursuant to an eminent domain proceeding commenced under chapter 117. Unless the railroad, or owner of an abandoned railroad right-of-way, asserts in writing that the proposed crossing is a serious threat to the safe operations of the railroad or to the current use of the railroad right-of-way, a crossing can be constructed following filing of the requested action with the department, pending review of the requested action by the department.

The department shall assess the cost of reviewing the requested action, and of determining a just and reasonable charge, equally among the parties.

HIST: (4718-1) 1925 c 152 s 1; 1971 c 25 s 67; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1997 c 123 s 1

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes