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- By Chez Oxendine
- Energy | Environment
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has rescinded a permit for the reconstruction of a petroleum pipeline near Pipestone National Monument after tribal nations raised concerns about the project’s impact on sacred land.
The commission’s unanimous decision on Tuesday reversed its September 2024 approval that would have allowed Magellan Pipeline Co. to reactivate a southwest Minnesota petroleum pipeline. The pipeline, which transported petroleum products such as diesel, gas, and jet fuel between Sioux Falls, S.D., and Marshall, Minn., stopped operating in 2022 when its permit expired.
Magellan applied to reopen the pipeline in 2023, citing increased demand. The company proposed a 13-mile detour around the monument, but tribal nations opposed the route due to the site’s cultural significance. Pipestone National Monument, established in 1937, serves as both a ritual space and a source of red stone for pipes. Twenty three tribes maintain cultural affiliations with the quarries.
“I don’t think the general public understands the sacredness,” Debra Topping, an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac Band, told the Sahan Journal.
Magellan must now be required to complete cultural, archeological, and historical resources inventories for two alternative routes, according to a PUC statement. The company will need to coordinate with 15 nearby tribal nations and organizations throughout the process, presenting its findings to each of the participating tribes for feedback seeking new PUC approval.
Magellan spokeswoman Annell Morrow said the company will continue working to determine the best route with minimal effects “that also respects the cultural significance of the area.”
According to a report in the Minnesota Star-Tribune, Commissioner Hwikwon Ham, who voted for the permit last year, said Tuesday that reversing course would help build trust and allow tribes more input and insight into each step of the regulatory process.
"I know it's a slow process and we may need two or three more meetings to do it," Ham said.
The PUC has not set a new timeline for the pipeline project.
This story was reported in collaboration with Native News Online. Brian Edwards provided additional reporting.
