Landowners in 4 States Sue Pipeline Company for Crop Yield Losses

Landowners in North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois filed a class action lawsuit against Alliance Pipeline L.P. for crop yield losses resulting from the operation of a liquid natural gas pipeline that runs from British Columbia, Canada to Chicago, Illinois.

Construction on the pipeline began in 1999. It runs nearly 900 miles, through 11,000 acres of prime farmland in the United States. Alliance entered into agreements with Attorneys General of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and Illinois which required that Alliance compensate landowners for crop yield losses for as long as they occurred. Alliance also negotiated and entered into Easements with North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois in which Alliance represented and agreed it would compensate landowners for crop yield losses for as long as they occurred.

In 2015, Alliance breached the Easements, the Attorney General Agreements, and the promises it made to induce landowners to sign the Easements by refusing to pay for further crop yield losses.

The North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois landowners allege that Alliance is responsible for crop yield losses from 2015-present, as well as for all future years in the operational life of the pipeline.

Click here for a copy of the complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. For more information about the case, contact Hellmuth & Johnson partner Michael R. Cashman at (952) 746-2118.

The landowners are represented by Michael R. Cashman, Richard M. Hagstrom, Anne T. Regan and Michael P. Srodoski of Hellmuth & Johnson, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Drew R. Ball and Steve E. McCann of Ball & McCann, Chicago, Illinois.

Hellmuth & Johnson

Hellmuth & Johnson, a Top 20 Minnesota law firm, represents clients ranging from individuals and emerging start-ups to multinational Fortune 500 companies. Focusing on antitrust, class actions, transactional law, trials, arbitration, and appeals, Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys are leaders in their fields. Founded in 1994, Hellmuth & Johnson has become one of Minnesota’s fastest growing law firms. Learn more at www.hjlawfirm.com.

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