Fuel pipeline route approved near Pipestone National Monument site

Minnesota regulators have approved a new route for a fuel pipeline near Pipestone National Monument, according to the Minnesota News Network.

The Public Utilities Commission voted four-to-one to allow Magellan to move the pipeline away from the monument, where Native Americans have quarried sacred stone for generations. The original line ran beneath the site but was shut down in 2022 after federal officials denied a permit renewal.

The replacement route is about 13 miles northwest of the monument. Tribal leaders opposed the plan, saying a larger buffer is needed to protect culturally significant land.