A pipeline that ruptured in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in December, spilling at least 350,000 gallons of diesel fuel, lacked the necessary safeguards that would’ve alerted workers to a leak. The Associated Press uncovered an accident report from Collins Pipeline Company submitted to federal regulators that detailed the major error. Two of the three alarm systems on the pipeline failed to function. It was only when workers noticed suspicious pressure and flow meter changes that they responded and discovered the leak. The company initially tried to downplay the spill and pretend as if 8,400 gallons of diesel entered the environment near its Meraux location. That number has continued to be revised up, and there is little doubt in my mind that the final amount will far exceed Collins Pipeline Company’s most recent estimate from Jan. 27.

The 42-year-old pipe that ruptured was already corroded to the point that the damage was noticeable during an inspection in 2020—right at the section that ultimately ruptured. Though a subsequent inspection resulted in Collins Pipeline Company being allowed more time to remedy the issue, the company was still awaiting a permit to fix the 22-foot corroded section when the spill occurred. Surprisingly, the pipeline’s age itself wasn’t even a red flag. According to a Wall Street Journal article published more than five years ago, a majority of fossil fuel pipelines in the U.S. are at least 46 years old and only growing older, adding yet another reason why continuing their operation is so risky. This latest spill resulted in the deaths of thousands of fish and dozens of other animals, including alligators and birds. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries found that more than 2,500 fish and 100 animals died from the spill.

Collins Pipeline Company admitted the spill resulted in an estimated $3.8 million in property damages. Diesel fuel from the pipeline flowed to two man-made ponds on private property and also contaminated a nearby marsh. It didn’t take long for Collins Pipeline Company— a subsidiary of megapolluter PBF Energy—to resume business as usual after the Dec. 27 spill. By Jan. 8, the pipeline was once again in operation, sending gas, jet fuel, diesel, and heating oil the 125 miles from Chalmette, Louisiana, to Collins, Mississippi. PBF has been desperate to maximize its footprint in St. Bernard Parish despite the spill. A week prior to the leak, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality granted a permit to PBF allowing it to move one step closer to setting up a renewable diesel plant at its Chalmette Refinery location. Renewable diesel is far better than petroleum diesel, but still emits greenhouse gases and has about the same carbon intensity as biodiesel. DeSmog notes that citizens are extremely concerned about the possibility of even more emissions plaguing the community, as Chalmette refinery is one of the worst polluters when it comes to dangerous emissions like sulfur dioxide and benzene.

Collins Pipeline Company in particular has been a source of frustration for the community. In 2019, it was one of a handful of polluters named in a lawsuit filed by the city of New Orleans over wetlands damage. Other parishes in the area have filed similar lawsuits against the companies that are wreaking havoc on the environment. “New Orleans has been harmed,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said when the suit was filed. “The people of our city have been harmed, and our way of life is threatened by the damage done to our coastal wetlands. The land that’s been lost was a protective barrier defending us from hurricanes and floods. If current trends hold, New Orleans will be a literal coastal city within the next fifty years—with no protective land barriers.” The consequences of wetlands loss are even more dire than Cantrell’s prediction. According to a summary from the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, a third of Louisiana’s wetlands could be lost by 2050. Though Gov. John Bel Edwards has signaled his support of the state reaching net zero by that time and has approved a Climate Action Plan, much more can be done. And it starts with major investments like those seen in the Build Back Better Act. Call on lawmakers to pass Build Back Better.