Oil Spill Seeping Into Gulf Of Mexico Contained After 14 Years, Coast Guard Says

An ongoing oil spill that has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for more than 14 years is finally being contained, the U.S. Coast Guard announced on Thursday.

The Taylor Energy oil spill began after Hurricane Ivan triggered an underwater mudslide in 2004 that caused the company's oil platform to topple and sink.

The New Orleans-based company managed to cap some of the 25 broken pipes leading to the leak, but many were left unplugged.

Environmental groups subsequently sued the company in federal court in 2012.

Since then it's been a slew of legal battles, with Taylor Energy playing down the magnitude and environmental impact of the leak.

Most recently, Taylor Energy tried to block the Coast Guard from moving ahead with plans to stem the constant flow. The company argued it is not possible to completely eliminate the constant oil slicks that often stretch for miles on the surface of the water and that to try to stop it could make the leak worse.

But in a status report filed on Tuesday, lawyers with the Coast Guard and Department of Justice say workers have made tremendous strides in containing and collecting the ooze after moving ahead with plans.