Pipeline’s safeguards not working in Louisiana diesel spill

By MATTHEW BROWN and JANET McCONNAUGHEY
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal records show a corroded pipeline that ruptured and spilled 350,000 gallons of diesel fuel into a New Orleans area wetland did not have a fully functioning leak detection system at the time. Collins Pipeline Company disclosed in an accident report submitted to federal regulators that two of three components of a leak detection system did not issue alarms as they were supposed to when the line broke on Dec. 27. The report also revealed the spill was larger than originally reported. The diesel flowed into two man-made ponds and killed thousands of fish and dozens of birds, turtles, alligators and other animals.