Every year, 25 to 35 square miles of Louisiana?EUR??,,????'???s coastal wetland washes into the Gulf of Mexico, endangering wildlife and oil pipelines that pass through the Delta, said Andy Kopplin, chief of staff for La., Gov. M.J. Foster at an environmental summit held with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic on August 1. ?EUR??,,????'??One-fourth of all oil and gas, foreign and domestic, that comes into the United States comes through pipelines that pass across the Louisiana Delta,?EUR??,,????'?? said Kopplin. ?EUR??,,????'??If something were to happen to those pipelines, the price people in many states pay for oil and gas would increase dramatically.?EUR??,,????'?? Kopplin continued to explain that a large portion of fish and shellfish sold across the country could vanish with the influx of the water. Sediment that would usually replenish Mississippi River Delta is now washing far into the Gulf of Mexico due to efforts to prevent flooding. Although a plan to create diversion channels in the river, construct marshes, and other techniques could slow down the erosion, the project could take up to 50 years to finish, and will cost billions of dollars, according to Rober Twilley, director of the Center for Ecology and Environmental Technology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Kropplin urges residents all over the nation to support federal funding for Louisiana Wetlands Restoration. Source: espn.go.com