Coalbed Methane Permitting

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.

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.

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.

Related Programs

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