A Federal Court Judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the law when it approved a nationwide permit for water crossings of the Keystone XL pipeline. Center for Biological Diversity’s Senior Attorney Jared Margolis says a streamlined general permit can’t be used without having an environmental impact study conducted.

He says this court ruling doesn’t completely stop construction of the pipeline but it does curtail its activities around waterways.

Margolis says he wouldn’t be surprised if the ruling is appealed but doesn’t think it has much chance of succeeding if it is appealed.

Margolis says the federal court ruling came about following a lawsuit filed by conservation and landowner groups last year.