You Gotta Be In it To Win It: Kentucky Court Stops Pipeline Taking

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Home » Condemnation Law » You Gotta Be In it To Win It: Kentucky Court Stops Pipeline Taking

by: Anthony F. Della Pelle

31 Mar 2014

A Kentucky court recently stopped a utility company from utilizing eminent domain to build an underground gas pipeline to transport natural gas liquids through the Commonwealth. The case, Kentuckians United to Restrain Eminent Domain, Inc. v. Bluegrass Pipeline Company, LLC (Civil Action No. 13-CI-1492), involved the challenge by plaintiff, a non-profit agency formed for the purpose of protecting Kentucky residents from“the threat of and attempts to exercise eminent domain by entities not in public service to Kentuckians,” to the efforts of the Bluegrass Pipeline Company to use eminent domain powers to construct a new 24-inch gas pipeline, which would transport the liquids from shale reserves in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio to the Gulf Coast.

Plaintiff’s declaratory judgment action sought a ruling on whether Bluegrass in fact had the power of eminent domain under Kentucky law. Under Chapter 278 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes (“KRS”), a Public Service Commission is dedicated to regulating utilities, and only regulated entities that adhere to the requirements of the statute are “in public service” and authorized to use eminent domain. The statute provides: “Any corporation or partnership organized for the purpose of … operating oil or gas well or pipeline for transporting or delivering oil or gas, including oil and gas products, in public service, may… condemn the lands and material or the use and occupation of the lands.”

The plaintiff argued that Bluegrass was not in public service, was not regulated by the Public Service Commission and did not serve Kentucky customers or producers because it was an interstate operation. It further contended that the natural gas liquids that would be transported through the pipeline were neither “oil or gas” nor “oil or gas products” as required by KRS 278.502.

Bluegrass opposed the motion, suggesting that there were genuine issues of material facts in play, and that its products were “oil, gas, or oil and gas products” under KRS 278.502. It also contended that it was acting “in public service” because, as a common carrier, it would “furnish services to the public, potentially including manufacturers and producers in Kentucky.”

The Circuit Court concluded that Bluegrass lacked the power of eminent domain under Kentucky Law. The court noted that Chapter 278 of the Kentucky laws was enacted to protect consumers “against costly and unnecessary capital construction.” It found that Bluegrass sought to benefit from the rights conferred on regulated utilities without subjecting itself to the responsibilities, duties, and regulatory oversight imposed by the KRS.

While this decision is not surprising, as it merely affirms that the power of eminent domain should only be wielded sparingly and that the statutory authority empowering condemning agencies to use condemnation powers should be scrutinized carefully, it has gotten the attention of many around the country, as utility companies have been undertaking efforts to increase and upgrade service and those efforts have involved the use of eminent domain in increasing frequency. Bluegrass is said to be likely to appeal, so this one may be one to watch.

A copy of the Circuit Court’s opinion is available here.

See discussion on the case from our Owners Counsel of America colleagues Robert Thomas, in his Inverse Condemnation Blog, and Michael Rikon, in his Bulldozers at Your Doorstep Blog.

Here is a sampling of some of the media reports on the Bluegrass case: