Minnesota Statutes Public Safety (Ch. 299A-299N) § 299J.15. Disposal of pipeline; penalty; enforcement

Subdivision 1. Disposal prohibited. (a) After an emergency release has occurred, a pipeline operator, or its employee or agent, may not dispose of, destroy, or alter the part of a pipeline or LNG facility that was involved in the emergency release until approval is granted by the commissioner. The authority of the commissioner to grant approval may not be delegated.

(b) This subdivision does not prevent the repair of a pipeline in the ground without the approval of the commissioner, or the excavation and removal from the ground of a pipeline or part of a pipeline without the approval of the commissioner. However, the pipeline may not be altered with the intent to prevent or hinder a determination of the cause of the emergency release.