A severely corroded pipeline ruptured and spilled more than 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel just outside New Orleans late last month, according to federal records.
The spill from the 16in-diameter line operated by Collins Pipeline Co was discovered on 27 December near a levee in St Bernard parish, just east of New Orleans, according to documents from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
In October 2020, an inspection of the 42-year-old pipeline had revealed external corrosion along a 22ft section of pipe in the same area as the spill.
But repairs were delayed and the line continued operating after a subsequent inspection indicated the corrosion was not bad enough to require work immediately under federal regulations, according to the pipeline agency.
The spilled fuel contaminated soil and created a large pool of diesel in an environmentally sensitive area just a few hundred feet from the Mississippi River, the documents show.
An estimated 50,000 gallons of diesel were later recovered and cleanup of the remaining fuel continues, the documents show.
Collins Pipeline is a subsidiary of the Parsippany, New Jersey-based PBF Energy Inc.
Company representatives did not immediately respond to email and telephone messages seeking comment.