A section of pipeline cited in two federal inspection reports due to its extensive corrosion finally burst at the end of December, spilling more than 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel in the waterways outside New Orleans, NBC News reports.
The operators of the 42-year-old Meraux Pipeline, Collins Pipeline Co., failed to make needed repairs to the corrosion, which federal inspectors first noted in an October 2020 report. A follow-up report noted the corrosion but said it was not extensive enough to violate federal guidelines.
Most of the spill was contained within two “burrows” and company officials report most of the diesel was recovered. However, the spill of the fuel resulted in thousands of fish, birds and other animals dying in an area of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a closed canal. A spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said nearly 130 animals — 72 alligators, 23 birds, 20 snakes and 12 turtles — were captured for rehabilitation.