Pipeline Safety

Every year I get a Pipeline Safety booklet from the Magellan Pipeline Company. Many years ago it was a Williams Pipeline and apparently was sold to Magellan. This buried pipeline runs through two of my farms. While it is pretty much "out of site out of mind" you do have to be aware that it is there. Especially if you are doing any type of tiling, deep tillage or any type of digging. In my case I have to be especially careful.

In the fall of 2016 I was combining beans and I noticed a pickup was sitting at the end of the field. It was a representative of the Magellan Pipeline Company. He informed me they had done a survey of the pipeline on my land and it was not as deep as it should be. Sometime in the future they were planning on lowering the pipeline. Until that was done they were asking that I be careful with any deep tillage.

Using today's technology they can dig under the pipeline and push or bend it down without welding in new sections. The pipeline is well marked as to where it enters and leaves my farm. When I was disk ripping I raised it up a little to make sure I did not hit the pipeline. Hopefully they will have a crew in the area this summer to lower the pipeline. The representative said if they destroy any crop I will be compensated for it.

There are many farmers that have to be aware of buried pipelines on their farms. This is especially true if they are installing tile lines or some other type of digging. There is a "right of way" allowing the company to come onto my land if necessary. The last time I did some tiling I called 811 and the next afternoon someone was there to mark the pipeline. I have heard stories of farmers or contractors hitting pipelines and that never turns out well for anyone involved!