ROANOKE, Va. — A legal attempt by environmental groups to stall work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline has fallen short.

The Roanoke Times reported Wednesday that a federal appeals court let stand a finding that construction on the project would not jeopardize endangered species.

The Sierra Club and other groups contend that two species of protected fish could be pushed closer to extinction if the controversial project pollutes their waters.

The fish are the Roanoke logperch and the candy darter. The groups also argued that cutting down trees for the pipeline’s path could destroy habitats of the Indiana and northern long-eared bats.

The court’s decision allows much of the work on the 300-mile pipeline through West Virginia and southwest Virginia to continue.