"A new study for the federal Minerals Management Service concludes that the construction of pipelines related to oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico 'can cause locally intense habitat changes, thereby contributing to the loss of critically important land and wetland areas.'

The report is part of ongoing research by the Minerals Management Service to understand the effects of the production of oil and gas in federally controlled Gulf waters.

Louisiana officials have long argued that the federal government should share a greater financial burden in restoring coastal wetlands and land areas because of the effects of such offshore development."

Mark Schleifstein reports for the Times-Picayune October 5, 2009. [2]