Louisiana
Federal regulators seek record fine over Louisiana offshore oil spill
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The U.S. Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump is seeking a record $9.6 million civil penalty against a pipeline operator over a massive offshore oil spill that sent more than 1 million gallons of crude into waters off Louisiana.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, known as PHMSA, announced the proposed penalty against Panther Operating Company for violations tied to the November 2023 failure of the Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline system.
PHMSA said the $9,622,054 penalty is the largest civil fine ever proposed in a pipeline safety enforcement action.
Federal investigators concluded the spill released about 1.1 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf after a subsea pipeline connector failed and operators did not shut the system down for hours.
“Safety drives everything we do,” Duffy said in a statement. “When companies fail to abide by the rules, we won’t hesitate to act decisively.”
According to PHMSA, the violations involved failures in integrity management, operations and maintenance, leak detection, emergency response and protections for high-consequence areas.
The agency also proposed a compliance order requiring Panther to overhaul how it evaluates geological and geotechnical risks affecting the pipeline system.
The spill occurred along the 67-mile Main Pass Oil Gathering system, which transports crude oil from offshore production areas south of New Orleans. Oil was first spotted roughly 19 miles off the Mississippi River Delta, near Plaquemines Parish.
Federal investigators later determined the pipeline was not shut down for nearly 13 hours after pressure data first suggested a problem. Regulators said quicker action could have significantly reduced the volume released.
The National Transportation Safety Board said underwater landslides and storm-related seabed movement contributed to the failure and that the operator did not adequately account for known geohazards common in the Gulf.
PHMSA said Panther must now develop a plan to protect the pipeline against future external forces such as seabed instability, erosion and storm impacts. The company has 30 days to respond to the notice of probable violation and proposed penalty.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
Copyright 2026 WAFB. All rights reserved.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A driver died from a gunshot wound after a Louisiana State Police car chase in New Orleans Saturday evening (June 20), but troopers say they did not fire the gun.
Troop NOLA confirmed the car chase ended near Franklin Avenue and North Miro Street Saturday. Troopers said they found the driver shot and brought them to the hospital, where that person died.
The driver’s identity has not been released.
A Troop NOLA spokesperson said he could not confirm if anyone else was in the car, if anyone has been arrested, or if troopers found a gun.
A spokesperson said more details will be released as a state police force investigation continues.
Troop NOLA is a special investigation unit tasked with proactive policing, traffic enforcement and crime reduction.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Shelby Bordelon of Iberville Parish was crowned Miss Louisiana 2026 Saturday night in Monroe, earning the title and a $15,000 scholarship. Bordelon, a graduate student at Southeastern Louisiana University, said the role is about more than pageantry, emphasizing the yearlong service mission tied to the crown.
“Part of the mission of this organization is the service behind it,” Bordelon said. “And the service is so important, you are serving your state for a year… having the opportunities to connect with others… to continue making an impact and leaving my mark on others as well.”
Bordelon, who finished first runner-up in last year’s competition, said the moment her name was called as the winner still hasn’t fully sunk in.
“It was every emotion you could think of that was running through my mind at that moment,” she said, adding she focused on preparation and perspective this year. “I really wanted to go into this year with no regrets… just really trusting in that mindset and that plan.”
Bordelon said she hopes to use her platform to raise awareness for her nonprofit, Claire’s Promise, which focuses on combating drunk driving.
You can learn more about the nonprofit here. She will now represent Louisiana at the Miss America Pageant, which begins in late August in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
-
Boston, MA3 minutes agoRed Sox Star ‘Open’ to Trade Talks With Boston’s Season Spiraling
-
Denver, CO6 minutes agoDance Gavin Dance weighs ins on banana-suit controversy before Denver show
-
Seattle, WA11 minutes agoSeries win in Seattle shows how tricky this trade deadline will be for the Red Sox
-
San Diego, CA18 minutes agoCalifornia’s culinary superstars to gather at Michelin Guide ceremony in San Diego
-
Milwaukee, WI21 minutes agoMilwaukee Mayor Johnson says he’s not aware of FBI interviewing city election officials
-
Atlanta, GA26 minutes agoWells Fargo’s Long-Standing Commitment to Atlanta – SaportaReport
-
Minneapolis, MN28 minutes agoPolice investigate triple shooting near busy northeast Minneapolis intersection
-
Indianapolis, IN33 minutes agoSummer shows you can’t miss in and around Indianapolis
