TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey filed suit against the federal government Tuesday, leading a nine-state challenge of new rules it says fail to protect children and expectant mothers from dangers posed by power plants’ mercury emissions.

The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, criticizes rules announced March 15 by the Environmental Protection Agency as failing to do all the Clean Air Act requires. The eight other states involved in the suit are California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.

“Our ultimate goal is to persuade the court to invalidate the EPA’s rules dealing with mercury emissions,” Attorney General Peter C. Harvey said. “Our goal is to reduce mercury emissions that we know are harmful to pregnant women and children.”