Nondiscrimination Policy

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.

Trade Secret Confidentiality Requests

Entities requesting permits from the DEQ are required to provide detailed descriptions of the activities or processes involved, so the DEQ may evaluate compliance with standards to protect public health and the natural resources of the state. These descriptions often include information that is considered "trade secrets" or proprietary by the entity. The DEQ must balance the obligation to keep confidential any trade secrets or proprietary information disclosed during the permitting process with the obligation to comply with the Wyoming Public Records Act (W.S. 16-4-203(d)) and Wyoming Environmental Quality Act (W.S. 35-11-1101(a)).

The following checklist has been developed for submitting requests to keep documents containing "trade secrets" confidential. The checklist summarizes the trade secret confidentiality issue in the State of Wyoming and refers to three documents that provide guidance for such requests:

  1. seminal August 29, 2011 letter from former DEQ Director John Corra to a member of industry describing the components of a trade secret confidentiality request and the extent to which the DEQ will be able to keep this information confidential. These concepts are reiterated and refined in the checklist
  2. An excerpt from the Wyoming Supreme Court’s March 2014 decision in Powder River Basin Res. Council v. Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Comm’n., 320 P.3d 222 (Wyo. 2014), adopting the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) definition of “trade secrets.” 
  3. 40 C.F.R. § 2.208 lists additional criteria that must be met in order for information to be considered a “trade secret.”

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Nondiscrimination Policy

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program, activity or service that it provides on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title 40 Part 5 & 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972. 

WDEQ does not retaliate against persons who file a discrimination complaint or lawsuit, who complain to WDEQ about discrimination, or who participate in a discrimination proceeding, such as being a witness in a complaint investigation or lawsuit. WDEQ will not tolerate intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination against any individual or group.

This policy establishes a framework for taking reasonable measures to ensure access to all services provided by WDEQ and establishes procedures whereby WDEQ will receive and investigate allegations of discrimination. If you need communication or language aids or services, you may call the WDEQ Title VI Coordinator by telephone at 307-777-7937. You may also access Wyoming’s Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD/TTY) by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-877-9965.

You have the right to file a grievance with the Wyoming DEQ about potential discrimination or failure to provide communication or language aids or services. You can file a grievance with our agency using any of the methods below. This form is automatically submitted to the Non­discrimination Coordinator. A process is in place for the Non-discrimination Coordinator to receive, review, make a judgment and effectuate any necessary remediation on all grievances submitted:

    • Kimber Wichmann
      Management Services Administrator & Nondiscrimination Coordinator
      kimber.wichmann@wyo.gov
      307-777-7198
    • Mail:  WDEQ Title VI Coordinator, 200 West 17th Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002
    • Online Form: Click here

Kimber Wichmann also coordinates DEQ’s compliance efforts under all of 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against with respect to a DEQ program or activity, you may contact the nondiscrimination coordinator or learn how and where to file a complaint of discrimination, click here: WY Title_VI_Discrimination_Complaint_Procedure_(Non-Employee)