# The Attorney’ General of Texas
F&ruary 21, 1986 JIMMAllOX Attorney

General

Supreme Court Building P. 0. BOX 12546 Austin, TX. 76711-2546 51214752501 Telex 9101674-1367 Telecopier 512/4750266

714 Jackson, Suite 700 Dallas, TX. 75202.4506 2141742.6944

4624 Alberta Ave., Suite 160 El Paso, TX. 79905.2793 915/533-3464

1001 Texas. Suite 7W Houston, TX. 77002-3111 71312255666

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4309 N. Tenth. Suite S McAtlen. TX. 76501-1665 512/882-4547

200 Main Plaza, Suite 400 San Antonio. TX. 76205-2797 512/2254191

An Equal OppOrtUnityI Affirmative Action Employer Honorable E. Bruce Curry DistrictAttorney 521 Earl Garrett Street Kerrville,Texas 78028 OpinionNo. .JM-432
Rc: Whether a county may leaec the right to cross county rightof-way to a pipeline company DearMr. Curry:
You inform us that the Gillespie County Commissioners Court has establisheda poHcy whereby a pipeline company is required to obtain a permit from the courtbefore runningpipelinesunder public roads or highways locatedwithin the county. Your letter also indicates that the county's policy includes provisionswhereby the county nay lease such right-of-way crossings to a pipeline company in order to receive annual payments. :Cnthat regard, you ask whether a county has the authority to lease such right-of-way crossings to a comon carrier subject to chapter 111 of theNatural Resources Code. The legislature,having declaredpipeline companies to be common carriers,has grmted them the right to lay pipelines "along, across, or under" public mads or highways. See Nat. Res. Code §§lll.O20(a), 111.002. A count:7commissioners courthas been granted the limited authority to app'coveand establish guidelines to regulate these pipelines. See Nr.t.Res. Code 5111.020(b)(4). Section 111.020(b)(4) provides that:

(b) l?heright to run a pipeline or telegraph or telephone line along, across, or over a public road or highwaJl

may be exercisedonly on condition that: - (4) no pipes orpipelines are laidparallel wit'hand on a public highway closer than 15 feet from the improved section of the highwag except with the approval and under the dimction of the commissioners court of the Giaty in which rhe public highway is E&ed ---* (Emphasisadded). Thus, the Gillesp:Le County Commissioners Court may require the pipeline company t:oobtain a permit which is reasonably related to carrying out the authority explicitly granted in section 111.020(b)(4). See Tex. Const. art.

-- V, 918; Caualesv. Laughlin, 214

p. 1980Ronorable E. Bruce Curry - l?age2 (JM-432)

S.W.2d 451, 453 (Tex. 1941;). Section 111.020(c) requires the common carrier to compensate the "county or road district" for any damage done to the public road or highway. See Nat. Res. Code §lll.O?O(c). We believe that theseprovisionsdo notgrant the county cormnissioners court the additional authority to lease right-of-way crossings to a common carrierpipeline company. E!oreover,common carrlcra are regulated exclusivelyby the Texas Railroad Commission under chapter 111 of the Natural Resource Code. See Nat. Res. Code, 4111.COl et seq. zides that a common carrier, Section 111.020(d) expressly in order to acquire the right of constructing pipelines along, across, or under public roads and highwaysmust consent tobo regulatedby chapter 111. Such consent is "in consideration of the rights acquired." This language directly implies that the exchange o,f rights to construct for the power of the state to regulate is both rutual and exclusive, and no other power is conferred on the county to lease or convey the realty in question. Nat. Res. Code §111.02O(~j3. Thus, article 1577, V.T.C.S., which establishesa procedurewhereby a county commissionerscourtmay lease county owned real estate, dl>es not apply to common carrier pipelines. SeeV.T.C.S. art. 1577 (establishesprocedures forpublic auction). - SUMMARY

Section lll.C2O(b)(4) does not authorize a county commissioners court to lease right-of-way crossings to pipc:linecompanies.which are common carriers subject,to chapter 111 of the Texas Natural Resource (lode.

JIM MATTOX Attorney General of Texas JACK HIGHTOWER FirstAssistantAttorney General
MARY KELLER ExecutiveAssistant Attormy General
ROBERT GRAY SpecialAssistantAttorneyGeneral
RICK GILPIN Chairman,Opinion Committee: Preparedby Tony Guillory AssistantAttorney General

p. 1981