Learn how to stay safe around underground natural gas pipelines and other natural gas facilities.
For more than 70 years, Minnesota Energy Resources has been providing safe and reliable natural gas to 165 communities throughout Minnesota. Inside our service territory, our crews oversee nearly 4,424 miles of delivery system pipeline.
We work diligently to maintain the safety and reliability of our delivery system, and count on you to follow all natural gas safety rules and report any incidents. This page provides detailed information on:
As your natural gas delivery company; we work everyday to make sure that gas arrives safely to your homes and businesses. By learning more about the delivery system, you'll help to ensure the safety of you and those around you.
Everyday in the United States, several million cubic feet of natural gas travel through an underground delivery system to 64 million utility customers. The gas is extracted from the earth and fed into gathering and transmission lines that bring supplies to all regions of the United States. Some natural gas is stored underground for use at a later time. Natural gas is brought to utilities' "gate stations" that feed into gas mains, then to your homes and businesses via service lines.
Minnesota Energy Resources' natural gas delivery system runs underground and has an excellent track record of safety and reliability. The company conducts all required tests, inspections, monitoring and upgrading to its system as required by state and federal laws.
There are several ways to identify if a pipeline or other natural gas facility is located in your community:
Underground natural gas facilities exist everywhere: under streets and highways, around your home and business, in rural and urban communities. General maps are available to the public that are meant to provide you with the required information while also protecting the security of the system.
Members of the public can get information about the operators who have pipelines that may be located in their communities by contacting the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS), www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov.
We have installed above ground markers to indicate our pipeline "rights-of-way." However, markers do not indicate the exact location and depth of the pipeline. The markers provide a toll-free number (800-889-4970) to report problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Transmission line markers are typically placed at public road crossings, fence lines and street intersections. In most cases, these are not located inside urban service territories. The public should become familiar with nearby marker locations, and report any unusual or suspicious activities near these markers to their local police and the pipeline operator.
In order to perform mandated safety inspections on our pipelines, we must have clear access to the pipeline right-of-way. The area on either side of our pipelines must be kept clear of trees, sheds and other structures.
The leading cause of accidents on a natural gas delivery system is hitting lines when digging. Serious injury or death, property damage and service outages can occur if gas pipes are stuck during excavation.
You are required by law to call a One Call Center at least two business days before you dig or excavate. Utilities will mark underground pipes at your site free of charge. Once underground facilities are marked, you are required to follow established guidelines when digging to prevent striking them.
If you plan to dig inside Minnesota Energy Resources' service territory, call 811 or Gopher State One Call – 651-454-0002 (metro) or 800-252-1166 (non-metro).
If you are located outside of our service territory, call the appropriate One Call Center in your area. To find the One Call Center in your area, contact the national Dig Safely referral line at 888-258-0808.
Natural gas is colorless and odorless. That's why utilities add an odorant called mercaptan to natural gas. Its unpleasant smell helps alert you in the event of a gas leak. The unintentional release of gas is dangerous to the public and could cause fires, explosions, injury, the loss of property and even death. A gas leak or damaged pipeline is indicated if you observe the following:
If you observe the above conditions, call the utility's emergency phone number, the number on the pipeline marker or 9-1-1 from another location.
To ensure your safety, Minnesota Energy Resources works diligently to comply with the Gas Integrity Management Rule, established by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. This mandate requires that we identify high density population areas and perform periodic inspections of pipelines located in those areas. The company's Pipeline Integrity Program describes these high density population areas, characterizes the threats to the pipelines in these areas, describes how these pipelines will be tested, and how any defects will be evaluated and repaired. The effectiveness of this Program is monitored, and the Program is modified as needed to improve its effectiveness.
Physical damage to the pipeline and facilities is considered one of the most severe threats to people and the environment. Our recently established Pipeline Integrity and Public Awareness Programs ensure better protection from pipeline incidents. To learn more about pipeline integrity management, log on to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration web site.
Public safety and environmental protection are a priority for Minnesota Energy Resources. We have longstanding relationships with emergency responders where our facilities are located, as well as established, federally required emergency response plans in place. Our personnel are ideally trained and equipped to manage any natural gas incident in conjunction with emergency response officials.
To report an emergency inside our service territory:
| Orgainization Name | Number |
|---|---|
| 24-Hour Customer Service | 800-889-9508 |
| 24-Hour Gas Emergency | 800-889-4970 |
| All Emergencies | 911 |
| Call Before You Dig | 811 |
| Gopher State One Call | 651-454-0002 (metro) or 800-252-1166 (non-metro) |
