ALBANY, N.Y. | New York, Illinois and seven other states sued the Bush administration Thursday over what New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says is an illegal administrative ruling that could hurt fisheries and contaminate drinking water.

The states contend the federal government has created a loophole that could allow the transfer of polluted or contaminated water by ship from one body of water to another where it would do harm. For example, the officials claim salt water from the ocean could be dumped in the Great Lakes under the June federal decision.

Suing the EPA are New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and the Canadian province of Manitoba. At issue is regulation of water discharges from ballast and other sources on vessels large and small.

State officials said that if the federal action is allowed to stand, ships and boats could carry sediment-laden water into clear drinking water reservoirs, water containing chemicals could foul sources for farm irrigation and warm water could be pumped into cold water habitats, threatening trout. The states' action also targets invasive species that could destroy lakes and rivers.

"The EPA takes this issue very seriously and will continue to use all our clean water tools to protect the nation's streams and rivers from potential impacts from water transfers," EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin Grumbles said in a statement. "However, we have not yet seen a copy of the challenge to the regulation."

The Catskill Mountains Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Hudson Riverkeepers are among the environmental and sport groups supporting the states' effort.

"At a time when wildlife is threatened by rising water temperatures, reducing flows, concentrating pollutants and spreading invasive species in our prized streams, rivers and lakes, EPA's new rule makes it much easier to further pollute our waters and spread exotic species," said National Wildlife Federation's Wetlands and Water Resources Counsel Jim Murphy. "We need strong measures to protect our waters, not illegal rules that make the problem worse."