A group of business associations has filed a lawsuit demanding state pollution officials halt work on new mercury emission rules.

The group includes Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Wisconsin Utility Investors, and the Wisconsin Paper Council. They say they can't tell how the rules will affect them because the state Department of Natural Resources never prepared a proper estimate of the rules' scope.

They want a judge to order the DNR to halt work on the rules until the statement is finished.

Gov. Jim Doyle has asked the DNR to come up with rules that would slash power plant mercury emissions by 90 percent.

DNR Air and Waste Management Division Administrator Al Shea says the agency prepared an estimate in 2005 that he believes fulfilled its legal obligations and released an economic impact statement last month.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)