Search is on for pipeline leak after as much as 1.1 million gallons of oil sullies Gulf of Mexico

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from a pipeline system off Louisiana’s southeast coast. Federal officials said Tuesday that the pipeline has been shut down, but authorities were still trying to determine the exact location and cause of the discharge. None of the oil has reached land, though its affect on wildlife is still being investigated. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife official says two oily pelicans were sighted off the Louisiana coast Saturday, but still appeared active and able to fly.