Mr. Schneiderman argued that the agency should not be drafting its own rules without the benefit of a comprehensive environmental impact study like the one that New York is conducting before hydrofracking is allowed in the state. The lawsuit takes the Army Corps and other federal agencies to task for resisting such a study, saying it is required by federal law.

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“Before any decisions on drilling are made, it is our responsibility to follow the facts and understand the public health and safety effects posed by potential natural gas development,” Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement.

The Army Corps of Engineers had no comment on the suit, but in a recent letter to Mr. Schneiderman, Brig. Gen. Peter A. DeLuca of the Army Corps argued that the federal law requiring an environmental study does not apply to the commission because the regional body is not a federal agency. He also noted that other comprehensive studies were under way, including one by the Environmental Protection Agency, to determine the possible impact of hydrofracking on water quality.

Hydrofracking is a hot-button issue in a state that gets much of its drinking water from the very area sought for exploration by natural gas companies. On Friday, officials in the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo directed the State Department of Environmental Conservation to expand its review of hydrofracking to include an inspection of a recent natural gas well spill in Bradford County, Pa., that discharged thousands of gallons of water containing hydrofracking materials into a nearby creek.

(The Department of Environmental Conservation is scheduled to issue its revised draft rules for new drilling on July 1. A period for public comment will follow.)