BATON ROUGE- A group of environmentalists gathered at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District this morning in an effort to stop progress on the Bayou Bridge pipeline.

The groups held a press conference prior to a hearing in Louisiana federal court to consider an injunction that aims to halt construction of the pipeline in the Atchafalaya River Basin. The groups made the request to stop construction from moving forward while a lawsuit, filed Jan. 11, is being considered by the court.

Reports say the lawsuit contends that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued permits and authorizations for the 163-mile pipeline without adequate environmental review. Meaning there was a violation of the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.

The Bayou Bridge pipeline project proposes to connect the Dakota Access pipeline, which will transport crude oil from North Dakota to refineries in St. James Parish. Construction on the pipeline began earlier this year.