\u201cSafety drives everything we do,\u201d U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.<\/p>\n
HOUSTON \u2014 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSafety drives everything we do,\u201d U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. \u201cWe are sending a clear signal: when companies fail to abide by the rules, we won\u2019t hesitate to act decisively. We\u2019ll continue to enforce the law to ensure the safety and efficiency of our energy infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n On Nov. 15, 2023, about 1.1 million gallons of crude oil \u2014 about the size of two Olympic-sized swimming pools \u2014 started leaking near Plaquemines Parish and continued leaking for about nine hours.<\/p>\n