Minnesota Statutes 216G.03 – Pipeline Proposal; Easement Acquisition
Subdivision 1.Compliance; penalty.
Any person proposing to construct or operate a pipeline shall comply with the provisions of this section before negotiating or acquiring any easement or right-of-way agreement for that purpose. Any person who negotiates or acquires an easement without complying with the provisions of this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 2.When routing permit required.
Attorney's Note
Under the Minnesota Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
Class Prison Fine Gross misdemeanor up to 1 year up to $3,000 Misdemeanor up to 90 days up to $1,000
For details, see § 609.02Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 216G.03
- Construction: means any clearing of land, excavation, or other action that would adversely affect the natural environment of a pipeline route but does not include changes needed for temporary use of a route for purposes other than installation of a pipeline, for securing survey or geological data, for the repair or replacement of an existing pipeline within the existing right-of-way, or for the minor relocation of less than three-quarters of a mile of an existing pipeline. See Minnesota Statutes 216G.01
- Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
- Pipeline: means a pipeline located in this state which is used to transport natural or synthetic gas at a pressure of more than 90 pounds per square inch, or to transport crude petroleum or petroleum fuels or oil or their derivatives, coal, anhydrous ammonia or any mineral slurry to a distribution center or storage facility which is located within or outside of this state. See Minnesota Statutes 216G.01
- state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
Attorney's Note
Under the Minnesota Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Gross misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $3,000 |
| Misdemeanor | up to 90 days | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 216G.03
- Construction: means any clearing of land, excavation, or other action that would adversely affect the natural environment of a pipeline route but does not include changes needed for temporary use of a route for purposes other than installation of a pipeline, for securing survey or geological data, for the repair or replacement of an existing pipeline within the existing right-of-way, or for the minor relocation of less than three-quarters of a mile of an existing pipeline. See Minnesota Statutes 216G.01
- Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
- Pipeline: means a pipeline located in this state which is used to transport natural or synthetic gas at a pressure of more than 90 pounds per square inch, or to transport crude petroleum or petroleum fuels or oil or their derivatives, coal, anhydrous ammonia or any mineral slurry to a distribution center or storage facility which is located within or outside of this state. See Minnesota Statutes 216G.01
- state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
Any person proposing to construct or operate a pipeline for which a pipeline routing permit is not required under section 216G.02, shall so notify the Public Utilities Commission and the county board of each county through which the pipeline will be constructed. The notice shall include a description of the route on which the pipeline is proposed to be located, the size and type of pipeline to be constructed, the types of commodities to be carried and the construction and operational characteristics of the pipeline. The proposed route shall be described in sufficient detail so that the owners or lessees of property on which the route is located can be identified. Notice to the Public Utilities Commission shall be accompanied by a fee of $25,000 for preparation of an information book as provided in section 216G.04 and for expenses incurred by state agencies to participate in public meetings as provided in section 216G.05. All fees received are appropriated to the Public Utilities Commission for its own use and for distribution to state agencies for these purposes. The Public Utilities Commission shall refund any amount that exceeds the actual cost to the commission of preparing the information book, including necessary revisions, and to state agencies for participating in the public meetings.
If the pipeline route described in the notice is changed to the extent that, in any county, 20 percent or more of the owners or lessees of property on which the new route is located were not owners or lessees of property on which the other route was located, the person proposing to construct and operate the pipeline shall notify the Public Utilities Commission and the county board of that county of the change in the proposed route. No additional fee shall be required for a notice of change of a proposed route.
Subd. 3.When routing permit not required.
(a) If a pipeline routing permit is not required for construction of a pipeline under section 216G.02, a person may not negotiate or acquire an easement or right-of-way agreement for the purpose of constructing and operating a pipeline until 30 days after:
(1) a public meeting has been held as provided in section 216G.05 in the county in which the right-of-way in question is located; and
(2) that person has provided to the owner or lessee from whom the easement or agreement is acquired a copy of the information book prepared pursuant to section 216G.04.
(b) If the original information book is revised pursuant to section 216G.04, each owner or lessee of property which the original route did not affect shall be provided with a copy of the revised book.