“Safety drives everything we do,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
HOUSTON — The Department of Transportation is charging a Houston company a record $9.6 million fine in relation to a pipeline leak off the coast of Louisiana in November 2023.
The fine, given to Houston-based Panther Operating Co. LLC, is the largest civil penalty ever proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in a pipeline safety enforcement action.
“Safety drives everything we do,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “We are sending a clear signal: when companies fail to abide by the rules, we won’t hesitate to act decisively. We’ll continue to enforce the law to ensure the safety and efficiency of our energy infrastructure.”
On Nov. 15, 2023, about 1.1 million gallons of crude oil — about the size of two Olympic-sized swimming pools — started leaking near Plaquemines Parish and continued leaking for about nine hours.
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