No changes for ozone standard in Sublette County
Wyoming Environmental Council rejects CURED request for stricter ozone standards for Sublette County
by Pinedale Online!
August 19, 2009
The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council (EQC) unanimously rejected a citizen petition asking for stricter ambient air quality standards for ozone in Sublette County. The Petition for Rulemaking was filed by Elaine Crumpley, Mary Lynn Worl, Tina Rock, Citizens for Responsible Energy Development ("CURED"), and the Upper Green River Valley Coalition as petitioners. Attorneys for the petitioners were Bruce M. Pendery with the Wyoming Outdoor Council and Dan Heilig with Western Resource Advocates. The hearing was held on Tuesday, August 18 in Cheyenne.
The Petitioners asked that the Wyoming Ambient Air Quality Standard ("WAAQS") for ozone in Sublette County be set at a level of 0.065 parts per million rather than a level of 0.075 ppm, which is the current national ambient air quality standard. The petition said, "Setting the ozone standard to 0.065 ppm is necessary to protect public health, "with an adequate margin of safety," as required by the Clean Air Act."
In rejecting the petition, the Wyoming EQC members said they had a problem imposing stricter air quality standards on just one of the state’s 23 counties. They also said that the federal government is currently in the process of reviewing the national ozone standard.
The Wyoming EQC consists of seven people appointed by the Governor of Wyoming, then confirmed by the Senate. The purpose of EQC is to adjudicate environmental disputes and enact regulations to implement the Environmental Quality The EQC members are not full time employees but are reimbursed and paid in the same manner as members of the legislature. The EQC members and the three person staff form a separate operating agency.
Related Links:
Panel rejects Sublette ozone petition By Bob Moen, Casper Star-Tribune, August 19, 2009
State quality council to consider ozone petition today Jeff Gearino, Casper Star-Tribune | Posted: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 Billings Gazette
Wyoming Environmental Quality Council
Petition for Rulemaking CURED et al (PDF, 53 pages)
DEQ EQC Agenda August 18, 2009
Sublette County Commission written comments to WEQC August 10, 2009 (PDF, 3 pages)
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