(a) The commission shall require, as a condition of certification of any site and related facility, that the applicant acquire, by grant or contract, the right to prohibit development of privately owned lands in the area of the proposed site which will result in population densities in excess of the maximum population densities which the commission determines, as to the factors considered by the commission pursuant to Section 25511, are necessary to protect public health and safety.

If the applicant is authorized to exercise the right of eminent domain under Article 7 (commencing with Section 610) of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code, the applicant may exercise the right of eminent domain to acquire such development rights as the commission requires be acquired.

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(b) In the case of an application for a nuclear facility, the area and population density necessary to insure the public’s health and safety designated by the commission shall be that as determined from time to time by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, if the commission finds that such determination is sufficiently definitive for valid land use planning requirements.

(c) The commission shall waive the requirements of the acquisition of development rights by an applicant to the extent that the commission finds that existing governmental land use restrictions are of a type necessary and sufficient to guarantee the maintenance of population levels and land use development over the lifetime of the facility which will insure the public health and safety requirements set pursuant to this section.

(d) No change in governmental land use restrictions in such areas designated in subdivision (c) of this section by any government agency shall be effective until approved by the commission. Such approval shall certify that the change in land use restrictions is not in conflict with requirements provided for by this section.

(e) It is not the intent of the Legislature by the enactment of this section to take private property for public use without payment of just compensation in violation of the United States Constitution or the Constitution of California.

(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 1114.)