BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Houston-based company has asked a state court in Baton Rouge to permanently block the Louisiana conservation commissioner's order for new exploratory wells and other steps meant to monitor the effects of a huge sinkhole in Ascension Parish.

The Advocate (http://bit.ly/Wj6hBq ) reports that Texas Brine Co. LLC also challenges Commissioner James Welsh's declaration of an emergency, which let him order the steps without a hearing.

The lawsuit was filed Dec. 28. It says Welsh ignored "more reasonable, scientifically sound and safer methods" for reaching his goals.

About 150 households were evacuated Aug. 3 after the sinkhole was found.

Welsh ordered Texas Brine to start the first of two 6,000-foot-deep exploratory wells by Jan. 15.

The lawsuit says those wells could increase the risk of danger to the public and environment.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com