WYDEQ Pre-Ozone Season public meeting
November 19, 2015
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hosted a pre-ozone season public meeting and open house on Wednesday, Nov. 18th in the Lovatt Room of the Pinedale Library. DEQ, industry representatives, and members of Citizens United for Responsible Energy Development (CURED) had tables set up with informative displays and people could talk one-on-one with representatives.
Sublette County has been designated in non-attainment status for air quality by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Upper Green River Valley has not had a winter ozone alert since 2011. Industry, government organizations, and environmental groups have all been working together to reduce emissions from natural gas and oil drilling operations to ensure things are being done using the best available technology and safety standards.
Environmental watchdog advocates say more still needs to be done to protect air and water quality and human health. Some of the things CURED says still needs to be done into the future are continued environmental monitoring of ground-level ozone, regulations of emissions from compressor and dehy stations, regular leak inspections and repair, recapturing of as much fugitive emissions as possible, capping methane leaks, and increased bonding for oil and gas wells.
Even with three winters of good news of no ozone exceedence in the Upper Green River Valley, under the slow speed of government regulation action it will be at least another ten years of testing, watching and monitoring before Sublette County will get out from under the non-attainment air quality label.
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