1.1 million gallons of oil leaked into Gulf of Mexico, officials say

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Emergency and environmental officials now say the main pass oil gathering company’s pipeline oil leak could have released more than a million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

A unified command has been created to help deal with the oil and its impacts.

As of right now, the 67-mile pipeline is completely shut off while crews figure out where the leak is and how it happened.

At today’s press conference, officials say that the “main pass oil gathering company” shut off the pipeline Thursday morning around 6:30 after their meters showed an anomaly.

It wasn’t until a helicopter reported seeing an oil slick about 20 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River.. that the Coast Guard and other emergency crews were alerted.

Officials say it’s hard to pinpoint just how much oil has been leaked into the Gulf of Mexico until they find out where the leak is.

They also say the weather conditions are also affecting how crews are monitoring the situation.

Officials say the pipeline shutdown affects seven producers but that no shoreline threats have been reported.

Still, officials are monitoring the situation and any potential harm to wildlife.

They also say vessels can travel through the area while emergency crews monitor the situation.

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