Section 10-5-3

Condemnation for rights-of-way or easements by mining, manufacturing, industrial, power and quarrying companies.

(a) Every mining, manufacturing, industrial, power and quarrying corporation or company may acquire by condemnation rights-of-way or easements over or across the lands or easements of others for ways and rights-of-way on or under which it may erect or construct and operate railways, tramways, pipelines, transmission lines, cables, ways, roads and underground passages not exceeding 100 feet in width for the purpose of connecting any part of its lands, works, plants, mines, lines or system with any other part thereof, with any public road, railroad, navigable water, with the mines, lands, works, plants, lines or system of any other such company, corporation or owner or with any shipping, storage, delivery, receiving or distributing point and for the purpose of transporting or transmitting any materials, equipment or products used by or mined, manufactured, produced, acquired, received, sold, delivered or distributed, or subject to contract for distribution by such corporation or company, and to cut and fell trees on or so near such right-of-way as might, by falling or otherwise, injure or endanger any of the works, lines, machinery, plant or equipment placed thereon.

(b) Such company may acquire by condemnation lands on the bank of or adjoining any navigable waters not exceeding in area 10 acres on which it may erect or construct, maintain and operate power plants, private or public warehouses, depots, storage plants, tipples, loading and unloading places, hoist and hoist houses, wharves, piers and landings to be used in connection with its operations or otherwise, and only a reasonable toll or charge, to be approved by the Public Service Commission of Alabama, shall be made for public use thereof.

(c) The right to condemn given in this section shall not include the right to condemn any private residence, nor the outhouses, garden or orchard within the curtilage of any private residence.

(d) The acquisition of rights-of-way for mining, manufacturing, industrial power and quarrying purposes as provided in this section is hereby declared to be a public use and necessary to the development of the state. No proceeding for condemnation of rights-of-way for transmission lines, cables or pipelines authorized in this section shall be instituted until the Alabama Public Service Commission shall have issued a certificate on application, after such public notice not exceeding 30 days as such commission shall prescribe, to the effect that in the opinion of the commission the proposed use would be in furtherance of industrial development by such company or corporation or its privies in this state, the duty and authority being hereby conferred on the said commission to hear and set up such application.

(e) Every corporation acquiring a right-of-way by purchase or condemnation for any purpose contemplated in this section shall have the right, where necessary, to cross public roads and lands, and all navigable rivers and streams where necessary for any such use, subject to such reasonable conditions as to the exercise of the right as may be prescribed by any public authority having jurisdiction over same; provided further, that nothing contained in this section shall be held or construed as relieving or exempting any person, firm or corporation, in fact, engaging in or operating his, their or its business as a public utility and otherwise subject to regulation by laws now existing or hereafter enacted, from full subjection to and compliance with all such laws or from liability for any fees, licenses or taxes payable in respect of such utility business.

(Code 1907, §3485; Acts 1915, No. 698, p. 770; Code 1923, §7019; Acts 1932, Ex. Sess., No. 31, p. 24; Code 1940, T. 10, §74.)