Ruptured pipeline kills thousands of animals — RT World News

A major pipeline rupture in Louisiana spilled more than 300,000 gallons of diesel into nearby ponds, killing thousands of fish and other animals before it could be recovered, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.

The spill took place in St. Bernard Parish, located southeast of New Orleans, at a line operated by Collins Pipeline Co., documents from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration show. Though the leak was discovered on December 27, it was first reported on Wednesday by the AP.

The bulk of the diesel drained into two artificial ponds near the pipeline – though some ended up contaminating soil – and ultimately killed approximately “2,300 fish and more than 100 other animals, including 39 snakes, 32 birds, a few eels and a blue crab,” Robert Iles, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, told the outlet.