The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality is drafting rules to curb emissions near Pinedale, but the agency says there are some limitations to what they’ll be able to do.
The Pinedale area violates federal air quality standards because of pollution from natural gas development. DEQ has already imposed stricter rules on new energy equipment, and now they plan to limit emissions from older, grandfathered facilities, as well. But spokesman Keith Guille says they aren't able to regulate everything.
“Let’s say, for instance, like drill rigs,” Guille said. “They are considered off-road mobile sources. And because they’re off-road mobile sources, we do not have regulatory authority. The federal government does. And so what we have been able to do is enter into a more voluntary effort to help reduce those emissions. But it doesn’t mean that we have regulatory control on those.”
Guille says that for the items they can regulate, they’re working on drawing up rules and will take public input this summer.