LITCHFIELD -- Meeker County officials will get a first look this week at the plans for a new crude oil pipeline that's proposed to go through the county.
County staff members and two commissioners are planning to meet Thursday afternoon with representatives from Minnesota Pipe Line Co., county administrator Paul Virnig said.
The company announced plans Jan. 3 to build a $300 million pipeline across 295 miles of the state, including part of Meeker County. The line would bring Canadian crude oil to two refineries in the Twin Cities, starting in 2008.
The pipeline, known as MinnCan, is needed because an existing Minnesota Pipe Line Co. pipeline is at maximum capacity, according the MinnCan Web site.
The beginning of the line, which starts in Clearwater County, will run parallel to the existing pipeline, but changes to a new route in Morrison County. The project will go through Clearwater, Hubbard, Wadena, Todd, Morrison, Stearns, Meeker, McLeod, Carver, Sibley, Scott and Dakota counties.
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The line would come into Meeker County just west of Eden Valley in Manannah Township and head south and east into Forest Prairie Township and then Forest City Township, according to a map on the project's Web site. The line would run just northeast of the village of Forest City.
The line would keep heading southeast into Dassel Township and would stay north of Dassel as it heads east into Wright County.
The company has applied for a certificate of need and a routing permit from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, according to the MinnCan Web site. The project will require several permits from federal and state agencies and local governments.
John Boe, Meeker County zoning administrator, hadn't received any plans from the company as of Tuesday. The county will probably require the company to obtain a conditional use permit, he said.
Minnesota Pipe Line Co. says it will contact landowners who would be affected by the line, according to its Web site. The state also will hold public meetings about the project.
Meeting notices will be posted in local newspapers and on the MinnCan Web site ( www.minncanproject.com ). People can also call toll-free (877) 796-7846 for information.
Koch Pipeline Co. operates the Minnesota Pipe Line system for the Minnesota Pipe Line Co. Koch Pipeline Co. is a subsidiary of Koch Industries and owns or operates about 4,000 miles of pipelines that carry crude oil, refined products and natural gas liquids, according to the MinnCan Web site.
The new line would bring crude oil to the Flint Hills Resources Refinery in Rosemount and a Marathon Petroleum Co. refinery in St. Paul Park.
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To see the detailed maps of the pipeline's proposed route go to www.minncanproject .
com and click on "Project Documents." Then click on "Routing Permit Application Figures." The Meeker County map is "Figure 8."
