More than 1 million gallons of oil leaked into Gulf of Mexico, officials say

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) – Emergency and environmental officials said a pipeline owned by the Main Pass Oil Gathering Company may have released more than 1 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The 67-mile pipeline has been completely shut off while crews work to find out where the leak is and how it was created.

WVUE reports officials set up a press conference to say that the oil company shut off the pipeline around 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning after their meters showed an anomaly.

The Coast Guard and other emergency crews were alerted to the spill after a helicopter reported seeing an oil slick measuring about 20 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River in the gulf.

Officials said it’s hard to determine exactly just how much oil has been leaked into the Gulf until they find out where the leak is.

They also said the weather conditions have affected how crews are monitoring the situation.

The pipeline shutdown affects seven producers, but no shoreline threats have yet been reported.

A unified command has been created to help deal with the oil and its impacts. Officials are monitoring the situation for any potential harm to wildlife.

Officials said vessels can still travel through the area while the situation is monitored.

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