Minnesota utility regulators on Tuesday rescinded a permit for a gasoline pipeline near Pipestone National Monument, ordering cultural and archaeological surveys on two potential routes after objections from tribes who consider the area sacred.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously reversed its September decision, which had conditionally approved a 13.1-mile route for Oklahoma-based Magellan Pipeline Co. The new decision requires surveys coordinated with the tribes before a route is selected.

The monument protects quarries of pipestone, a red stone used for centuries by Native Americans in ritual pipes. Twenty-three tribes have affiliations with the site. A previous pipeline operated near the monument until 2022, when the federal government shut it down. 

Magellan, a subsidiary of ONEOK, sought to build a new pipeline to ensure a reliable fuel supply in parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas. The company argued that the shutdown has increased gas prices and is necessary due to new EPA gasoline-grade mandates.

Commissioner Hwikwon Ham, an independent who initially voted for the permit, said reversing course would build trust and allow greater tribal input. “I know it’s a slow process, and we may need two or three more meetings to do it,” he said.

Magellan spokeswoman Annell Morrow said the company will continue working to determine a route with minimal impact and “also respects the cultural significance of the area.”

Tribes argued the pipeline’s proximity to the monument violated their religious freedom and risked damaging a culturally significant area. According to the tribe, it would be better if there was “no pipeline at all.” The Mille Lacs Band had suggested the 13.1-mile route initially chosen by the PUC, while the Upper Sioux Community proposed an 18.7-mile path.

Before the initial vote, thousands of public comments were submitted. The PUC acknowledged the sacred site and cultural resources extend beyond the monument’s borders. Even after the initial permit was granted, tribal opposition continued.

In a letter addressed to the PUC last December, Samantha Odegard, tribal historic preservation officer for the Upper Sioux Community, said the tribe would oppose “any pipeline that poses a risk to the sacred stone, cultural sites and landscape that has been revered for millennia.”