TransCanada Corp.’s $11 billion Energy East Pipeline encountered a problem in Quebec, where public opposition to the pipeline’s time line is building in response to the presence of endangered beluga whales calving their young in the St. Lawrence River.

According to Canada’s Globe and Mail, the company had intended to return to work after a temporary court injunction was lifted in October. However, a Quebec Superior Court judge then issued an injunction preventing additional work after environmental groups convinced the court the ministry had not followed appropriate protocols, including an evaluation of the pipeline’s impact on the belugas that spend time in the area.

TransCanada then submitted a revised plan to protect the belugas, but it is still under review by Quebec’s environment ministry, according to the newspaper.

Oct. 15 is the traditional end of the belugas’ calving season; TransCanada’s work permit was set to expire at the end of November. The company was expected to file for additional regulatory approvals in late October.

However, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., the Quebec government said no agreement had been reached to resume surveys to build an oil terminal off Cacouna, which is just outside of Rivière-du-Loup and near the opening of the Gulf of St. Lawrence River. The area is a breeding ground for the whales, a species protected by Canada’s Species At Risk Act.

The Energy East Pipeline Project is a system from the west to east side of Canada, crossing 2,858 miles to carry 1.1 MMbbl/d from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in eastern Canada. The pipeline is expected to be in service in 2018.

According to information on TransCanada’s website, the project includes converting an existing gas pipeline to oil; constructing new lines in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, eastern Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick to connect with the converted pipe; and construction of the associated facilities, pump stations and tank terminals required to move crude oil from Alberta to Quebec and New Brunswick, including marine facilities that provide access to other shipping markets.

The exact route of the pipeline is still under public and regulatory review, but the planned starting point is Hardisty, Alberta.

Environmental groups have said the area is in the “heart of the belugas’ vital habitat,” and that the project could be fatal for the marine mammals. Michael Belanger, president of Nature Quebec, said the belugas’ numbers have diminished from 10,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to about 880.