An old and rusted pipeline near New Orleans broke open and spilled more than 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the local ecosystem, according to newly released federal records.
The fuel flowing through the Meraux Pipeline, operated by Collins Pipeline Company, drained into two artificial ponds on private property on Dec. 27. The fuel killed thousands of fish, birds, and other animals and contaminated the soil of an environmentally sensitive area in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
The breach occurred after a 22-foot-long portion of the 42-year-old Meraux Pipeline had lost most of its metal to corrosion, requiring immediate repair, the Associated Press reported.
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Officials had investigated the pipe in October 2020 and determined that the pipe was in dire need of repair, records stated.
However, the work was delayed after a second official inspected the pipe and concluded that the corrosion was not bad enough to require repair based on federal rules, records said.
The pipe burst open in December, leaking hazardous fuel into the local area. The spill killed 2,300 fish, 39 snakes, 32 birds, a few eels, and a blue crab, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Collins had not publicly reported the leak before, the Associated Press claims.
PBF Energy Inc, the company that owns Collins Pipeline Co., told the Associated Press that they repaired the breach and resumed operations last Saturday.
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“Although we continue to remediate and monitor the area, on-water recovery operations have been completed,” PBF President Michael Karlovich told the Associated Press. An environmental damage assessment is pending, Karlovich claims.
No fines have been filed as of Jan. 12.
