Lawyers for opponents of the Muskrat Falls hydro-electric project are in Federal Court in Ottawa this week arguing the proposed development in Labrador never got a full environmental assessment.

Groups including Sierra Club Canada and Grand Riverkeeper Labrador say a joint federal-provincial panel did not complete a full review.

Sierra Club member and environmental activists say the environmental assessment process is incomplete.

“Despite that the federal and provincial governments have announced their support of the project. We believe the Government of Canada has acted unlawfully,” Bruno Marcocchio told the Rick Howe Show Monday. “We now seek to overturn the government’s federal endorsement of the project in the federal court and prevent it from granting any financial support to the project.”

Lawyer Lara Tessaro represented aboriginal and environmental groups in court Monday. She argued a federal-provincial panel failed to completely study the need for the Muskrat Falls project.

Without a fuller analysis, Tessaro argued the federal government shouldn’t be issuing permits or a loan guarantee.

“This hydro project would damn a free-flowing river on the lower reaches of Labrador’s Grand River,” continued Marcocchio. “It’s the seventh-largest river in Canada. It threatens fish, fish habitat, wetlands and local caribou herds.”

Provincial Natural Resources Minister Jerome Kennedy says anyone can go to court, and his government remains committed to the project.