926                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                       CH. 494

STRUCTION OF THE STATION OR LINE. THE COMMISSION
SHALL TAKE FINAL ACTION ON EACH APPLICATION FOR
A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECES-
SITY BY ORDER AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE LOCAL
GOVERNING BODIES OF THE AREAS AFFECTED AND CIV-
ING FULL WEIGHT TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF SUCH
BODIES FOLLOWING A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE
GOVERNING BODY AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
IN THE LOCALITY AFFECTED, AND IT SHALL ALSO GIVE
DUE CONSIDERATION, AMONG OTHER FACTORS, TO THE
NEED TO MEET PRESENT AND FUTURE DEMANDS FOR
SERVICE, EFFECT ON SYSTEM STABILITY, ECONOMICS,
ESTHETICS AND WHEN APPLICABLE, THE EFFECT ON AIR
AND WATER POLLUTION. THE COMMISSION SHALL HOLD
A PUBLIC HEARING ON EACH APPLICATION FOR A CERTIF-
ICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY IN
EACH AREA AFFECTED, TOGETHER WITH THE LOCAL
GOVERNING BODY OR EACH AREA AFFECTED, UNLESS
THE AREA IN WHICH ANY PORTION OF THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF A GENERATING STATION OR AN OVERHEAD
TRANSMISSION LINE DESIGNED TO CARRY A VOLT-
AGE IN EXCESS OF 69,000 VOLTS IS PROPOSED TO
BE LOCATED, TOGETHER WITH THE LOCAL GOV-
ERNING BODIES OF EACH SUCH AREA, UNLESS
ANY SUCH GOVERNING BODY WISHES NOT TO PARTICI-
PATE IN THE HEARING. THE COMMISSION SHALL TAKE
FINAL ACTION ONLY AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF SUCH GOVERNING BODIES, THE
NEED TO MEET PRESENT AND FUTURE DEMANDS FOR
SERVICE, EFFECT ON SYSTEM STABILITY AND RELI-
ABILITY, ECONOMICS, ESTHETICS, HISTORIC SITES, AND,
WHEN APPLICABLE, THE EFFECT ON AIR AND WATER
POLLUTION. THE SAID PUBLIC HEARING SHALL BE AD-
VERTISED IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION
IN THE AREA AFFECTED ONCE IN EACH OF THE TWO
SUCCESSIVE WEEKS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE HEAR-
ING.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1968.

Approved May 7, 1968.

CHAPTER 494
(Senate Bill 24)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, subsections (f)
and (g) of Section 277 of Article 81 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume), title "Revenue and Taxes,"
subtitle "Recordation Tax," to alter the basis upon which the re-
cordation tax on leases shall be computed, to exempt certain leases
creating ground rents from the provisions thereof, and to provide
for cases in which instruments substituting for leases are recorded,
rather than the lease itself.