Winter Ozone Open House
Tuesday, December 9, 6-8 p.m.
Lovatt Room, Sublette County Library
155 South Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY

Wyoming Air Quality Advisory Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 10, 9 a.m.
Lovatt Room, Sublette County Library
155 South Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY

Background and details:

In recent months, the Wyoming Outdoor Council said the state has been considering some common sense and generally strong pollution controls for oil and gas development in the Upper Green River Basin.

These proposed measures, if approved, would unquestionably reduce dangerous air pollution from what are known as “existing sources”–the pumps, compressors, and other oil and gas equipment that is already in place and in operation around Pinedale.

The Wyoming Outdoor Council said members know that they have worked long and hard, along with many others, to get the word out about this area’s dangerous ozone pollution. And that they have also helped provide the state with a broad range of important technical and practical input–advocating key pollution controls, such as “leak detection and repair,” that will help protect the public health.

“It has been an important effort, and one that we’re proud of. While we won’t get everything we’ve asked for, if the draft rule is adopted, we’ll have gotten a lot,” Wyoming Outdoor Council officials said.

This proposed approach of “leak detection and repair” has proven especially effective in other places when it comes to controlling the emissions that can cause serious air pollution problems including ground-level ozone. It also helps to significantly reduce the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, especially natural gas. And, of course, fixing leaks captures a marketable, taxable product that would otherwise be wasted. These are reasonable, cost-effective measures.

While the rule can still be improved, it’s also important for the health and quality of life of the communities in the Upper Green that the proposed pollution controls be adopted as soon as possible.

What can you do?

The council is asking residents to help them convince the Air Quality Advisory Board that it should recommend these proposed pollution controls to the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council. Once we achieve that, improvements can still be made, but more importantly the new rule can be implemented as quickly as possible.

Here are two changes to the proposal that we the council is recommending:

• Expand requirements for leak detection and repair to all emission sources, including pneumatic controllers and pumps.
• Change the threshold for leak detection and repair from facilities emitting four tons of volatile organic compounds per year to two tons. This would require a great many more existing polluters to reduce emissions and it would thus result in a significant reduction in the amount of harmful pollutants emitted into the air we breathe.

“We hope you’ll be able to attend one of the above meetings and ask the Air Quality Advisory Board to send this proposed new rule to the Environmental Quality Council for approval. That way the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality can begin implementing these important changes as quickly as possible. Please be sure to let us know if you have any questions,” officials said,