Air Quality
Historically, Wyoming has enjoyed some of the cleanest air in the nation, but it is losing that distinction because of the rate of energy development taking place in the state. With the loss of clean air, Wyoming risks the health of its citizens, its tourism industry, its fisheries, and its mountain lakes and streams, not to mention its 100-mile views. The Wyoming Outdoor Council works to reduce the harm to air quality from oil and gas projects, and the emissions from coal-fired power plants and other industries. The Council also works to ensure that the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality permits are as protective as possible and that the standards set by the Clean Air Act are enforced. A theme in all of these efforts is to protect human health from ozone and reduce impacts to visibility in our wilderness areas and national parks.
One goal of our air quality program is to reduce regional haze that impairs visibility in protected Class I wilderness areas and national parks and to prevent dangerous ground-level ozone formation that threatens human health. Oil and gas development projects and coal-fired power plants are significant contributors to air quality degradation in Wyoming. Our advocacy efforts include engaging with the responsible federal and state agencies, particularly the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. We work to ensure that both project and permitting decisions are as protective as possible of air quality.