HF1073 / SF733 establishes a right for Minnesota landowners to have a decommissioned pipeline removed from their property and their land restored at the pipeline company’s expense. The bill would apply to pipelines that require routing permits from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as defined in Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 216G.02. Under the proposed law, a landowner could choose pipeline removal or abandonment-in-place on their property.

This bill would ensure that in Minnesota, landowners always have a choice about what happens with an abandoned pipeline.

The legislation also would require the preparation of a pipeline abandonment plan, including consultation with tribes who hold treaty rights in the affected area. Treaty rights are the supreme law of the land and it’s vital that Indigenous interests are respected.

Abandoned pipelines can pose a risk to water and land. Considerations on removal vs. abandonment are usually site-specific and informed by the landowner’s hopes for the future of their property. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to dealing with old pipelines, but no company should get to leave its garbage on other people’s property without consent – if you make a mess, clean it up. Iowa has already passed a common sense policy requiring a pipeline removal option for landowners, but Minnesota doesn’t have one. It’s about time.

👉Your Minnesota legislators in the House and Senate need to know that you support this bill

👉Write to your representative and tell them who you are and why you care – we’ve prewritten a letter to make it easy for you, and encourage you to edit/customize