Bill > HF1073

This bill establishes comprehensive requirements for pipeline abandonment in Minnesota, creating new legal frameworks for how pipeline owners must handle decommissioned pipelines. The bill defines "pipeline abandonment" as permanently ceasing service along a portion or entire pipeline route and requires pipeline owners to provide written notice to landowners at least 60 days before ceasing operations. When abandoning a pipeline, owners must remove all abandoned property from landowner's property, including pipelines, stations, and infrastructure, and bear full financial responsibility for removal and environmental cleanup. Landowners can request pipeline removal through a notarized written request, and pipeline owners must purge the pipeline of transported materials, begin removal within 30 days of certification, and complete removal within 90 days. The bill also mandates extensive land restoration, including restoring land contour, replacing topsoil, establishing vegetation, and controlling invasive plant species. Additionally, pipeline owners must develop a detailed abandonment plan approved by the commissioner of public safety, which requires consultation with stakeholders, holding public hearings, and providing comprehensive documentation about the pipeline's history, facilities, environmental considerations, removal procedures, and long-term monitoring plans. Landowners can alternatively request that a pipeline be left in place, but they would then assume future liabilities associated with the abandoned infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1073&ssn=0&y=2025