Minnesota Regulators Review Proposed Pipeline Near Pipestone Monument

Minnesota regulators are weighing a proposed petroleum pipeline route near Pipestone National Monument as tribes and Indigenous groups challenge the project's cultural and environmental review process.

(P&GJ) — Minnesota regulators are reviewing a proposed petroleum pipeline route near Pipestone National Monument as tribal governments and Indigenous organizations continue to challenge the project's cultural and archaeological review process, according to Sahan Journal.

Magellan Pipeline Co., a subsidiary of OneOK, is seeking approval to replace a fuel pipeline between Marshall, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The original line crossed land within the monument, but federal officials declined to renew its right-of-way permit in 2022. The company subsequently proposed a new route that would bypass the monument, though several tribes have argued the alternative path still threatens an area of deep cultural significance.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission previously approved the project but later withdrew that approval and directed Magellan to conduct additional consultation with tribal governments and complete further cultural resource studies. Tribal representatives and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council have since argued that the company has not fully complied with those requirements, according to Sahan Journal.

The dispute centers on land surrounding Pipestone National Monument, where Native American tribes have quarried catlinite, a stone used to make ceremonial pipes, for generations. Opponents of the project have raised concerns about potential impacts to culturally sensitive areas and have urged regulators to reject the proposal or require additional review. Public comments on the project are being accepted through June 22 before the commission determines its next steps.