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A survey crew gathered in a field near the intersection of U.S. Highway 75 and 151st Street about three miles north of Pipestone on Wednesday morning, April 30 to look for cultural, archaeological and historical resources along a potential refined petroleum pipeline route. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is requiring Magellan, the company planning to build the pipeline, to survey two potential routes as part of the application process for a routing permit. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
A survey of cultural, archaeological and historical resources has begun along two potential pipeline routes for a refined petroleum pipeline planned by Magellan Pipeline Company. The survey work was required by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
The routes being surveyed include what is referred to as Route Alternative 1, which was suggested by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and would take the pipeline about three miles north and about three miles west of Pipestone National Monument along 40th Avenue and 151st Street, spanning about 13.1 miles. The other route being surveyed is referred to as Route Alternative 3, which was proposed by the Upper Sioux Community and would take the pipeline about five miles south and three and a half miles east of Pipestone National Monument along 61st Street and 110th Avenue, spanning about 18.7 miles.
Magellan’s intention is to replace a pipeline that ran under the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge – Pipestone Creek Unit and the Pipestone National Monument, that was decommissioned in 2022. The PUC had granted Magellan a permit last fall for Route Alternative 1 and required the company to conduct a cultural and archaeological survey of that route.
Earlier this year, the PUC rescinded that permit and required Magellan to “select an appropriate consultant and complete, as practically as can be achieved with voluntary access to property along the routes, at a minimum Phase I of the full cultural, archaeological and historical resources inventories” for Route Alternative 1 and Route Alternative 3 in coordination with 15 tribal nations or entities.
The 15 tribal nations or entities included in the PUC’s order were the Brave Heart Society, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Sioux Indian Community, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Otoe-Missouria Tribe, Prairie Island Indian Community, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Nation, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Upper Sioux Community, White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and Yankton Sioux Tribe.
According to a monthly progress report Magellan submitted to the PUC in April, tribal nations and entities were invited to participate in the survey process to identify resources of importance to the respective tribes using each tribe’s preferred methods.
The survey work began Wednesday morning, April 30 along 151st Street near U.S. Highway 75 north of Pipestone. According to Annell Morrow, a communications consultant with Oneok, Magellan’s parent company, the survey teams planned to be in the field for 10 days, initially, and then determine how to proceed until both routes are surveyed.
“Our continued goal is to foster positive relationships with the tribal nations, landowners, and the community at large as we seek to construct a route that respects the cultural significance of the area, while minimizing impacts,” Morrow said by email.
She said items of potential significance that are found during the surveys will be itemized and categorically defined, and the survey team would discuss strategies for avoidance. That information will then be put into a report for the PUC.
“Due to the nature of the findings and with respect to landowner property rights, information likely will not be available before the report is made public, and some of the content may be confidential,” Morrow said.
Magellan must send the inventory results from the surveys to the tribal nations and entities and engage in coordination with them within 30 days of the completion of the inventories. According to the monthly progress report, the company plans to schedule in-person and virtual meetings to maximize the opportunity for tribal participation. A compliance filing with the results of the surveys, comments and a statement certifying that coordination with the tribal nations and entities has been completed or attempted is expected to be filed this summer, according to the progress report.
After receipt of the compliance filing, the PUC will schedule the matter for a final route permitting decision subject to permit conditions requiring the company to come back to the PUC upon the completion of all phases of the full inventories, according to the PUC’s order earlier this year.