The long-awaited Hawaii Superferry, which began service between Oahu and Maui in August, has been ordered to dock indefinitely until the completion of an environmental impact study. The decision was made Tuesday by Maui Circuit Court Judge Joseph Cardoza, according to a report in the Pacific Business News.

The Supeferry began service in August, despite environmentalists' protests that operation of the ferry is illegal because an environmental-impact study was not conducted prior to development of the ferry. In 2005 the Department of Transportation ruled that an environmental impact study was not required. The Sierra Club and several Maui-based environmental concerns have argued to the contrary.