The following opinion piece was written and submitted by Petroleum Association of Wyoming President Pete Obermueller
CASPER — The Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) applauded the final decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant primacy to the State of Wyoming over Class VI wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Class VI wells are related to the injection of carbon dioxide for storage.
PAW has long held that the federal government is not the sole gatekeeper of environmental protections. After a thorough review, the EPA has determined that Wyoming has met all requirements to implement Class VI regulations – making the state a leader in this area by becoming just the second state in the U.S. to receive this determination after North Dakota.
Based on the long history of success Wyoming has had in balancing natural resource development and environmental stewardship, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality is uniquely qualified to regulate these wells.
PAW is thankful for the work completed by the EPA and State of Wyoming to bring these regulations closer to on-the-ground development. Given Wyoming’s expertise in natural resource development, it only makes sense to capitalize on that knowledge when it comes to regulating the industry.
