On September 1, 1987, a gasoline pipeline release ignited a neighborhood in the city of Mounds View and killed two residents. After this tragic incident, the legislature created the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) through the 1987 Pipeline Safety Act, Minnesota Statutes 299J, and 299F.   

One year later, additional legislation created the Gopher State One Call Center, and the “Call Before You Dig” campaign was born. This simple message has been the core of the OPS public awareness campaign for over 35 years.

The Federal Office of Pipeline Safety granted OPS interstate agent status in 1991. This authorized OPS to inspect all pipelines crossing the Minnesota border. OPS inspects more interstate pipelines than any other state.​

Minnesota has over 72,000 miles of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines with 9,956 of those operating as interstate pipelines. These pipelines carry a variety of gas and hazardous liquid products and range in size from ½ to 48 inches in diameter. There are more than 100 intrastate and interstate companies that operate pipeline systems in Minnesota. 

OPS is responsible for pipeline related inspections, incident investigations, education, and regulatory enforcement throughout the state. OPS also enforces Minnesota’s One Call laws (MS216D) which apply to all public underground utility owners and excavators. 

Our main office is located in St. Paul which includes a staff of 21, including inspectors and support staff. The State Fire Marshal acts as the Director of OPS and the Deputy Director oversees the daily operations. Two of our inspectors support our non-metro areas in Clearbrook (northwest MN) and Granite Falls (southwest MN).