Government finds major safety issues on Alaska oil line

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has begun a thorough investigation of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, following a January 8 leak that required the line to shut down temporarily.

The division of the U.S. Department of Transport found that the line appears to have "multiple conditions" that "pose a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property or the environment," according to a February 1 letter sent by regulators to the pipeline operator and viewed by Reuters.

The letter puts operator Alyeska on notice that it may soon be required to fix the line so it can continue to operate safely, it said. Among the issues along the pipeline are internal wall corrosion that reaches 80 percent in some spots, the letter said. The PMHSA began its investigation

(Reporting by Joshua Schneyer)