2018 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 30 - Minerals, Oil, and Gas and Environmental Quality
RS 30:210 - Permits to prospect on highway rights of way, and on other lands subject to non-highway rights of way, servitudes and easements; injunctive relief and attorneys' fees

§210. Permits to prospect on highway rights of way, and on other lands subject to non-highway rights of way, servitudes and easements; injunctive relief and attorneys' fees

A. No board, commission, agency or department of the state shall issue a permit to any person to prospect by means of torsion balance, seismograph explosions, mechanical device, or otherwise, for minerals, or for any other purpose, on any right of way, easement or servitude granted for highway purposes whether owned by the state or its agencies in fee simple, or otherwise, without requiring that the applicant furnish to the issuer in advance a complete list of all the owners of land abutting the right of way, easement or servitude on that side of the highway on which such prospecting is to occur, which area shall be expressly described in the permit, together with evidence of the furnishing to the abutting property owners of information concerning proposed operations and evidence of the consent of all such abutting property owners as provided in Subsection C.

B. No board, commission, agency or department of the state, nor any person holding a right of way, servitude or easement for non-highway purposes shall issue a permit to any person to prospect by means of torsion balance, seismograph explosions, mechanical device, or otherwise, for minerals, or for any other purposes, on land which the issuer does not own in fee simple without requiring that the applicant furnish to the issuer in advance evidence of the furnishing to the abutting property owners of information concerning proposed operations and evidence of the consent of the owner of the land in fee simple as provided in Subsection C.

C. Before any permit is issued under the provisions of Subsection A above, the applicant shall furnish to the issuer a complete list of abutting property owners, as required in this Section, evidence of the consent of the abutting property owners as provided in this Subsection C, and evidence that, prior to obtaining such consent, applicant has furnished to the abutting property owners a brochure, pamphlet or other writing setting out the name and address of the applicant and an explanation of the nature of the proposed operations to be made under the permit with respect to which consent is solicited, together with an affidavit sworn to by applicant, in the presence of a notary and two witnesses, confirming that applicant has complied with the requisites of Subsection A according to the best information available to applicant.

Before any permit is issued under the provisions of Subsection B above, applicant shall furnish to the issuer evidence of the consent of the owner of the property which is subject to the right of way, servitude or easement as provided in this Subsection C, and evidence that, prior to obtaining such consent, applicant has furnished to the abutting property owners a brochure, pamphlet or other writing setting out the name and address of the applicant and an explanation of the nature of the proposed operations to be made under the permit with respect to which consent is solicited, together with an affidavit sworn to by the applicant, or by a person duly authorized to act on behalf of said applicant, in the presence of a notary and two witnesses, confirming that the applicant has complied with the requirements of Subsection B according to the best information available to applicant.

The evidence of consent of abutting property owners and owners required in this Section may be in the form of a written consent by such owners or the applicant may confirm in the sworn affidavit prescribed in this Section that the consent of these landowners has been obtained verbally, which confirmation will be sufficient to satisfy the requirement of proof of consent of the property owners under Subsections A and B.

The issuer of permits under this Section shall not be required to verify or confirm the correctness of the documents furnished by the applicant.

Injunctive relief shall be available when violations of this Section occur, or when there is clear and convincing evidence that this Section will be violated. In the event that injunctive relief is granted, plaintiff shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees and all costs of court, reserving unto plaintiff all rights to civil damages which he may be entitled to recover under the law.

Amended by Acts 1977, No. 639, §1; Acts 1978, No. 639, §1, eff. July 13, 1978.