Several groups submitted comments Thursday on the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s draft rule for groundwater testing in the state. The rule would require that energy companies test groundwater quality before and after oil and gas drilling.
Richard Garrett is a policy analyst with the Wyoming Outdoor Council, one of the groups that submitted comments. He says his group and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) made recommendations that they hope will close any potential loopholes in the law.
“We believe that we have drawn on the experience gained from EDF working in other states, and in particular in Colorado, to discover what was done right and what was done wrong in that state, and apply those lessons to Wyoming,” added Garrett.
The groups support the draft rule overall, but suggested clarifying some of the wording in the rule as well as adding a statement that the testing rules would apply to everyone equally.
The next step in the process will be public scoping, and the Commission is expected to announce when that will begin on July 16th.