Coalbed Methane Permitting

Enforcement Actions

The DEQ undertakes enforcement actions to preserve safe environmental conditions throughout Wyoming. 

This page contains information on the enforcement actions that the Water Quality Division may undertake, as well as a record of enforcement actions that have been undertaken by WQD.

If the download box is not working below, please click here.

Electronic Documents Submittal

Electronic document submittal is available for WQD permit applications, reports, and other communications.
Visit:  WDEQ Water Quality Division Downloads

You do NOT need to follow up the electronic submission with a hard copy submission unless you are specifically contacted by a WQD staff person with a request to do so.

Need to report a spill or complaint? Please visit https://deqspills.wyo.gov/home

Submitting a public comment? WQD is unable to accept public notice comments through this system. Refer to the public notice document for instructions on how to submit comments or visit https://wq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/comment/search.

NOTICE: All applications for water distribution systems and/or sewage collection systems that are within the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) district shall be submitted to the BOPU for approval. Contact Frank Strong or Bryce Dorr at (307) 637-6460, ENGreview@cheyennebopu.org, or http://cheyennebopu.org for additional information.

Recent General Permit Authorizations

The DEQ Water Quality Division accepts comments on all permits authorized under a general permit for a period of 30 days, as provided for in W.S. 35-11-801(d).

Interested persons may mail or fax comments to the main Cheyenne office. The ‘Date’ column in the table below indicates the date the authorization was posted to the website. Comments must be received before 5:00 pm on the 30th day after the authorization was posted to the website. For example, comments for an authorization posted on 10/1/18 must be received by 5:00 p.m. on 10/31/18. DEQ does not accept emailed comments.

You may sort the table by posting date or search for the type of general permit, the county where the permit was issued, the permit number, or the name of the person or company to whom the permit was issued.

If you wish to review the general permit documents, please go to the web page for each permitting program:

If the download box is not working below, please click here.

Proposed Rules and Regulations

Water Quality Rules Chapter 12

The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council will consider proposed revisions to the
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Water Quality Rules Chapter 12, Design and Construction Standards for Public Water Supplies, Docket 22-3103, at a hearing to be held on November 15, 2022 in the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, WY, 82002, starting at 9:00 a.m. (MST). The revisions include new requirements for public water supplies that propose well acidization, updates to water treatment technologies, and the incorporation by reference of the Recommended Standards for Water Works, 2018 Edition. More information is available at: https://eqc.wyo.gov/Public/Pleadings.aspx?DocketId=4336

Water Quality Rules Chapter 3

The Department of Environmental Quality has revised Water Quality Rules, Chapter 3, Regulations for Permit to Construct, Install or Modify Public Water Supplies,
Wastewater Facilities, Disposal Systems, Biosolids Management Facilities, Treated
Wastewater Reuse Systems and Other Facilities Capable of Causing or Contributing to Pollution.

The Environmental Quality Council adopted the revised rules at a public hearing located at the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 14, 2022. The final rule was filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on August 19, 2022.

Electronic copies of the rule are available from the Secretary of State at rules.wyo.gov , under “Current Rules,” “Environmental Quality, Dept of (020),” “Water Quality,” “Chapter 3.”

Water Quality Rules Chapter 29

The Department of Environmental Quality has created a new rule: Water Quality Rules Chapter 29, Geologic Sequestration Special Revenue Account Requirements.

The Environmental Quality Council adopted the new rule at a public hearing located at the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 14, 2022. The final rule was filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on August 19, 2022.

Electronic copies of the rule are available from the Secretary of State at rules.wyo.gov, under “Current Rules,” “Environmental Quality, Dept of (020),” “Water Quality,” “Chapter 29.”

Rules and Regulations

All official Wyoming State Rules and Regulations are kept at the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. Click here to view all current Rules and Regulations.

Coalbed Methane Permitting

This section contains information relating to WYPDES Coalbed Methane Permitting. See resource tabs on the right for more information.

Bibliography

*****This page is currently under construction*****

The purpose of this bibliography is to provide a list of reference documents relevant to CBM discharges that may be useful in understanding issues related to CBM water quality (i.e. irrigation, aquatic life, surface water quality monitoring...).  Links to the reference documents are provided where available.  This bibliography is not meant to be comprehensive of all CBM-related water quality references; however, the WDEQ will continually update this bibliography as new references are received and reviewed.

Guidance and Tech

This resource contains Guidance and Technical Support Documents related to WYPDES CBM Permitting

Links
  1. WQD Public Notices
  2. Recently Approved WYPDES permits
  3. Governor's Streamlining and Strengthening Project Map:  This map is hosted by the WOGCC and is for interested parties to view information related to the CBM industry. The type of information that can be displayed includes: WOGCC data (well data), WYPDES outfall information (including DMR data) and SEO data.
  4. Montana Department of Environmental Quality coalbed methane information
  5. Wyoming CBM Clearinghouse: This web site is a clearinghouse for information about coalbed methane in and around the state of Wyoming. 
  6. US EPA WET testing  On this page you will find links to method manuals for acute and chronic whole effluent toxicity testing procedures. (6/04)
  7. Wyoming Surface Water Quality, Powder River Basin (USGS).  This is a link to the USGS website with surface water quality data for the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, for the water year 2005.
  8. Water-Quality Characteristics for Sites in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River Drainage Basins, Wyoming and Montana, Water Years 2001–05, with Temporal Patterns of Selected Long-Term Water-Quality Data. (SAR Estimator Report) By Melanie L. Clark and Jon P. Mason (USGS)
Permit Application Material

This resource contains permit application material related to WYPDES CBM Permitting.

Powder River Assimilative Capacity

The Wyoming Environmental Quality Act gives authority to the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality to prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution; to preserve, and enhance the air, water and reclaim the land of Wyoming; and to plan the development, use, reclamation, preservation and enhancement of the air, land and water resources of the state. The Water Quality Division has adopted this policy consistent with the provisions of Wyoming Water Quality Rules and Regulations Chapters 1 and 2, the EQA and the federal Clean Water Act. DEQ may revise this policy as new information or scientific knowledge becomes available. 

The objective of this policy is to establish a mechanism, within the existing Wyoming Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (WYPDES) regulatory framework, to allow discharges of coal bed natural gas (CBNG) produced water to the Powder River mainstem while providing the greatest level of assurance that the Wyoming and Montana standards for TDS and Sodium (Na) are protected. 

Below are documents related to this policy.

Training

This resource contains past training materials related to WYPDES CBM Permitting.

Watershed Permitting

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality is developing a watershed-based permitting approach for discharges from coalbed methane wells.  A watershed-based approach will improve the permitting process as well as improve environmental protection and provide for more informed decisions by the Department.  The documents linked below describe the process to date.  Information on this page will be continually updated as new information becomes available.

Transfer of Coverage

Use this Notice of Transfer and Acceptance (NOTA) To transfer coverage under an individual permit or general (non-storm water) permit to another party.  The Department must have original signatures on both Parts 1 and 2.  (9/04) 

Effective 6/1/2013 all transfers shall become effective on the first day of the following month from the date the NOTA has been signed by the current permit holder. The previous Permittee is responsible for all permit requirements and DMR submittals until the transfer becomes effective.