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Wyoming Legislature

Week Two at the Legislature: The bills are stacking up!

Posted on by Alec Underwood

The 2025 General Session is off to an exciting, fast-paced start, and bills are stacking up quickly. We’re keeping an eye on legislation that would impact private property, nuclear waste, rooftop solar, and other conservation priorities in Wyoming — read on for key updates!

HB118 attacks future land exchanges

HB118 would effectively restrict any land exchanges or conveyances that increase the amount of federal public lands. Even worse, it would potentially prevent private landowners from selling their land for conservation purposes or public access — and stymie deals that often result in huge benefits to the state, such as the Kelly Parcel.

Last week, the bill easily passed the House Agriculture Committee. Read more about our concerns around this bad bill on our blog, and keep an eye on your email for action alerts!

Say “No” to Nuclear Waste Storage

We’re keeping a close watch on HB16, a worrisome bill about nuclear waste storage, as it moves towards a House Committee. This bill redefines “high-level nuclear waste” to exclude “spent nuclear fuel” from its definition in order to streamline a process for bringing hazardous waste from the country’s commercial nuclear reactors to Wyoming. Once this bill is assigned to a committee, we’ll need your help to speak against this bad idea — again! Keep an eye on your email for action alerts, and find more information about this troubling bill here.

On our latest blog, Big Wind Carpenter, WOC tribal engagement coordinator, outlines the long-term stakes of nuclear waste storage with a personal story about growing up in the shadow of the uranium industry. Read it here!

Rooftop Solar: Two (very different) bills

We are tracking two bills that promote very different visions for the future of rooftop solar in Wyoming. The first, SF111- Net metering revisions is the latest legislative attack on energy independence and rooftop solar. It continues a saga of uncertainty for rooftop solar customers — and is simply not needed given the tiny amount of rooftop solar and backyard wind in the state.

The second, HB183 – Net metering amendments is actually a good bill that would promote rooftop solar and help more ranchers, schools, and local governments take advantage of the sun to lower rising utility bills. Check out our factsheets for these two very different bills at the links above. We’ll keep you updated as they head to committee in the coming days or weeks.

Keeping Game & Fish’s budget healthy

To avoid a looming budget crunch, SF99 seeks to give the Wyoming Game and Fish Department a financial boost. By exempting a subset of Game and Fish properties from taxation, the bill could save the agency upwards of half a million dollars annually and put those dollars to work on behalf of Wyoming’s wildlife and people.

We testified in support of this bill last Thursday and are happy to report the Senate Travel, Wildlife, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Committee voted unanimously to advance it. Next up, Senate Appropriations. Stay tuned!

Upcoming: BEERS & BILLS

Join us January 30 at Black Tooth Brewing in Cheyenne (or via Zoom!) for a lively panel discussion with experts on the session’s most important topics.

If you’re curious about what to expect during the session or want to get more involved, this is an event not to miss. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the panel discussion (and livestream) begins at 5:30. This event is free and open to the public, but your RSVP will help us plan.

As we work to understand the many bills and priorities of this new legislature, we want to thank you for your support and engagement. The core values that have always guided us — clean air, clean water, and support for our public lands and wildlife — ring just as true today as they did nearly 60 years ago when we first entered the debate in Cheyenne.

This can be challenging work, but we are here for the fight. We couldn’t do it without support from people like you! Stay tuned for opportunities to leverage your voice to make an impact.

Want to stay in the loop on important legislation and opportunities to take action? Sign up for our legislative emails!

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Image: Meghan Riley

House Bill 118 attacks future public lands access and landowner rights

Posted on by Alec Underwood

The sale of the beloved Kelly Parcel, the former state section that has now been successfully incorporated into Grand Teton National Park, represented a win-win for wildlife and state trust beneficiaries. The $100 million generated from the sale will benefit Wyoming’s education system for decades to come. Unfortunately, some legislators are dead-set on preventing future deals with the federal government that could result in huge sources of revenue to the state — and also infringe on private property rights.

HB118 flew through the House Agriculture committee last week on an 8-1 vote, and without much debate, before passing the House Committee of the Whole shortly thereafter. The bill would essentially limit any land exchanges or conveyances that would result in a net gain of federal public lands. Even worse, the bill would potentially prevent private landowners from selling or conveying their land for conservation purposes or public access.

In addition to an attack on landowners’ rights, this bill is shortsighted because it stymies deals that often result in more benefits to the state. Even the Office of State Lands and Investments testified on the draft bill, indicating that it runs counter to the state agency’s existing rules and regulations and current efforts to find and shepherd deals to maximize state lands revenues. That’s because within state land sales or exchanges, valuation is not calculated solely on acreage.

In the case of the Kelly Parcel, a tract that has high conservation value, a combination of private and federal funding resulted in a sale to the federal government that was $38 million more than the parcel’s appraised value. So why would legislators want to shackle our own state agencies, infringe on private property rights, and prevent future deals that result in more public lands? We have no idea — but what we do know is that bills like HB118 are an affront to Wyoming values.

Most Wyomingites can agree that finding ways to conserve land while also generating revenue for the state is a benefit to all Wyomingites, and our wildlife, too. That’s why we need YOU to speak out against shortsighted legislation like HB118. In the coming weeks, we’ll be asking you to take action on a variety of bills, including this one and other draft legislation that impact the values we care about most. We hope you’re ready for the challenge and stay tuned for more, very soon.

Image: Charles Stirum

Nuclear waste storage and the 2025 Wyoming Legislature: What you need to know

Posted on by Max Owens

Should Wyoming become the nation’s dumping ground for radioactive waste? HB16, a bill being considered by state lawmakers, would open the door for a high-level nuclear waste storage facility within state boundaries. Storing this waste comes with risks to Wyoming’s environment, public health, and economy — which is why we’re tracking this bill closely.

Read on for recent updates and more information.

LATEST NEWS

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Click below to read more information on nuclear waste storage and HB16.

TAKE ACTION

If you share our concerns about nuclear waste storage in Wyoming, we could use your help. Tell your legislators that you oppose nuclear dumps in Wyoming, and sign up here to be notified with alerts as this bill moves through the legislature.

Image: ShinRyu Forgers | Wikimedia Commons CC

A toxic legacy: When “temporary” becomes permanent

Posted on by Big Wind Carpenter

I grew up hearing stories. Not just bedtime stories, but also stories shared around the dinner table, passed down from my family. These are tales of mutated animals — creatures with extra legs or two heads. They told us about how the land had been taken, the water contaminated, and how a sickness struck the area.

These tales weren’t folklore. This was reality. Growing up in Arapahoe, Wyoming, under the shadow of the uranium industry, I witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of nuclear waste. My community — those living on Goes in Lodge, Red Crow, and Little Shield — remember the story, one of forced displacement and a long-lasting environmental disaster.

For many, the uranium boom of the 1950s was a sign of progress for the country, but for the people of Arapahoe, it resulted in a toxic legacy. When uranium mining began in the Gas Hills, a local milling site was required to process the uranium ore. The land chosen for the mill site was on the Wind River Reservation and belonged to members of my family. The Bureau of Indian Affairs came to our families to buy the land for the federal-funded project. When they refused, BIA coerced some into signing documents, promising payments that never arrived. Those who resisted were threatened with arrest and forced off their own land. The mill site was then constructed and operational within a year’s time. Although the project was brief, its impact lingers today. The Susquehanna plant operated for only five years before closing, but when it shut down, it left behind a 70-acre unlined impoundment of tailings — approximately 1.8 million cubic yards of low-level radioactive waste.

The Department of Energy removed the tailings in the late 1980s, claiming the danger was eliminated. This was a false promise. Over time, rain and snowmelt washed radioactive materials deep into the ground, polluting the water supply. This created an underground uranium plume — a silent threat that continues to grow, expanding from 20 to 27 acres in recent years and inching closer to the Big Wind River. This experience has left a deep scar on our community. We have seen loved ones suffer and even lose their lives from illnesses linked to radiation exposure from using tainted well water.

Now, Wyoming faces a new threat: HB16, a bill that seeks to redefine “high-level radioactive waste” to exclude “spent nuclear fuel.” In doing so, it opens a dangerous loophole that would allow a “temporary” nuclear waste storage facility to be built in Wyoming.

This “temporary” label is a dangerous illusion. Is it temporary for five years? 50 years? 500 years? We’ve seen “temporary” become “permanent” before. And even if a facility is eventually decommissioned and the federal government finds a safe, permanent storage solution for the country’s nuclear waste, the environmental damage and consequences to Wyoming could be irreversible.

The risks are immense. Nuclear waste remains radioactive for millennia, and there’s no guarantee any storage facility, no matter how secure, can withstand the test of time. Transporting radioactive material across our state and through our communities is hazardous, with the potential for accidents that could devastate our land, water and well-being.

The stories of mutated animals, poisoned water, and sick family members, once shared around our dinner tables, should serve as a stark reminder. We cannot allow these stories to be the reality for another Wyoming neighborhood. In Arapahoe, this toxic legacy continues to haunt our community. We know the true cost of nuclear waste — the environmental devastation, the health risks, and the broken promises.

Wyoming, we must learn from the past. We have a responsibility to ensure that no other community faces the devastating consequences of nuclear waste. We must reject HB16 and protect our state from the dangers and false promises of “temporary” nuclear waste storage.

If you share our concerns about nuclear waste storage in Wyoming, we could use your help. Tell your legislators that you oppose nuclear dumps in Wyoming, and sign up to be notified with alerts as this bill moves through the legislature.

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Wyoming’s 68th Legislature begins this week!

Posted on by Alec Underwood

And … we’re off! The 2025 Wyoming Legislature kicks off this week, ushering in a jam-packed two months of debate, amendments, and votes on hundreds of bills impacting all aspects of life in Wyoming.

Many of these bills concern our lands, waters, wildlife, and climate. We’ll be following the action closely and keeping you updated every step of the way. Read on for an overview of what to expect from WOC, details about our upcoming Beers & Bills event, and more.

Updates on Important Bills

We’re keeping a close eye on bills related to public lands transfer, nuclear waste storage, limited mining operations, and rooftop solar — and those are just the topics we already know of. In the next several weeks, many more bills in other areas will be introduced.

For the best and most up-to-date information about the bills we’re keeping an eye on, visit the bill tracker on WOC’s legislative webpage. There you’ll also find resources for contacting legislators and much more.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

Our staff on the ground in Cheyenne (wildlife program manager Meghan Riley, energy and climate policy director John Burrows, and myself) will share frequent updates and opportunities for you to take action. Keep an eye on our emails, and sign up for text messages from WOC, which we’ll reserve for the most urgent issues.

When you see action alerts from WOC, be ready to add your voice to the conversation — it truly makes a difference!

YOU’RE INVITED: BEERS & BILLS

Join us January 30 at Black Tooth Brewing in Cheyenne (or via a Zoom livestream!) for a lively panel discussion with experts on the session’s most important topics.

If you’re curious about what to expect during the session or want to get more involved, this is an event not to miss. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the panel discussion (and livestream) begins at 5:30. This event is free and open to the public, but your RSVP will help us plan.

Know who your legislators are, and how to contact them?

Sending your legislators a message or calling them ahead of votes on important bills is the best way to participate during the session. Find your legislators’ contact info here. When you do reach out, keep your messages simple, tell the story behind your stance, and personalize the subject line of your message if sending by email.

That’s a wrap for now, but we’ll be in touch with more soon. If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Want to stay in the loop on important legislation and opportunities to take action? Sign up for our legislative emails!

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Why we’re concerned about nuclear waste storage in Wyoming: A deeper dive

Posted on by John Burrows

When the 2025 General Session kicks off next week, the debate over nuclear waste storage is set to become a hot (dare we say radioactive?) topic. In preparation, we wanted to share the latest information about the current proposal to store the country’s nuclear waste in Wyoming — and why we plan to oppose it.

Wyoming has stood firm against nuclear waste storage for decades, and for many good reasons. We’re concerned about the current proposal because the consequences of transporting and storing high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming would be significant, multi-generational, and perhaps even permanent.

Concerned about nuclear waste storage in Wyoming? Join our list to stay informed as this bill moves through the legislature.

SIGN UP FOR ALERTS

The draft bill, which has been received for introduction as House Bill 16 – Used nuclear fuel storage-amendments, could move quickly into the house Minerals Committee. If it does, we’ll need your voice to help stop it. So without further ado, let’s dive into the bill and our key reasons for opposing this effort to site nuclear waste in Wyoming.

  • This bill has moved forward with remarkably little opportunity for public engagement for such a significant and consequential issue. Initial public review of the draft bill wasn’t available until less than two weeks before its first and only discussion in the October 2024 Minerals Committee meeting. Opening the door to invite nuclear waste to Wyoming should not be a legislative afterthought and last-minute committee sponsored bill. We believe this is a topic that should require many discussions and seek robust public participation similar to what we saw in the early 1990s.
  • We need to be realistic that once nuclear waste is here temporarily, it will be here to stay. It has become clear to us based on the failings of federal policies, that a “temporary” facility would become a de facto permanent repository, as no legal, political, or financial mechanisms exist to ensure its removal. Despite decades of efforts from the federal government, the fact remains that there is still no permanent disposal solution for this waste. In fact, creating temporary storage for this waste in Wyoming could undermine the political will needed to pursue a safe permanent solution to this issue.
  • The history of nuclear waste storage in our country is fraught with broken promises by our federal government to both states and tribes. When we consider a half-century of missed timelines, changing scientific guidelines, and disregard of state and tribal sovereignty that has plagued the full supply chain of nuclear energy from cradle to grave, we can find very few reasons to trust the federal government that it has the best interest of Wyoming and the Wind River Reservation in mind. In 1992, this was one of Gov. Sullivan’s key points when rejecting further study of a Department of Energy proposed monitored retrievable nuclear storage site in Wyoming. In a letter, he stated,

“I am absolutely unpersuaded that Wyoming can rely on the assurances we receive from the federal government. Even granting the personal integrity and sincerity of the individuals currently speaking for the federal government, there can be no guarantees or even assurances that the federal government’s attitudes or policies will be the same one, five, ten or 50 years from now.”

  • A rush to designate Wyoming as the country’s nuclear waste storage capital could have both real and perceived consequences to other industries and the state’s broader economic diversification efforts. Numerous states have rejected advances by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to store nuclear waste, citing concerns around their reputation and damage to other economic sectors. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbot raised concerns over a facility because of potential risks it could pose to the state’s oil and gas development in the Permian Basin. (The Nuclear Regulatory Commission permitted this over his objections anyway.) In other states such as Tennessee, New Mexico, and Nevada, studies have confirmed negative impacts to other economic sectors like agriculture, outdoor recreation, tourism, and resident property values. If Wyoming legislators want to take the title of being the country’s nuclear waste dump, we need to be clear-eyed about how this could negatively impact our reputation and other economic sectors.
  • The risks of transporting and storing nuclear waste from around the country amount to an unprecedented, unnecessary national experiment. Nuclear waste is currently stored safely at reactor sites, where it is generated, as required by federal law. This would also be true for any nuclear facility built in Wyoming. This is the right place for this waste to remain until a permanent solution can be found. It does not make sense to transport and move this hazardous material twice across thousands of miles of interstate highways, city and county roads, and railways.

If you share our concerns, we could use your help. Tell your legislators that you oppose nuclear dumps in Wyoming, and sign up here to be notified with alerts as this bill moves through the legislature.

Looking for more information? Check out our nuclear waste storage fact sheet, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a conversation.

Image: ShinRyu Forgers | Wikimedia Commons CC

INVITING NUCLEAR WASTE RISKS FEDERAL OVERREACH AND ENVIRONMENTAL HARM

Posted on by John Burrows

Some bad ideas refuse to die — and the recent legislative push to make Wyoming a temporary location for the nation’s high-level radioactive waste is definitely one of them.

Over the last three decades, the Wyoming Legislature has discussed rolling out the red carpet for nuclear waste several times. Now, that discussion promises to rear its head once again when the 2025 General Session begins in January.

Just as we have in the past, WOC opposes this latest proposal, which would make it easier to store high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming. It’s not a position we take lightly: As an independent, statewide organization, we understand the challenges associated with diversifying our economy and the need for solutions that address complex energy and environmental challenges, which are often at odds with one another.

As one of the most regulated materials known to humankind, inviting high-level nuclear waste to Wyoming would also invite an unprecedented level of federal oversight and regulation not seen before in Wyoming. For this reason and others discussed here, we strongly believe that inviting this waste to Wyoming would be a poor decision that could jeopardize our environment, communities, state sovereignty, and future hopes of broader economic diversification.

Concerned about nuclear waste storage in Wyoming? Join our list to stay informed as this bill moves through the legislature.

SIGN UP FOR ALERTS

Wyoming has held the line against nuclear waste storage for decades. Before we get to the current proposal, let’s take a look at some highlights from Wyoming’s long and proud history of rejecting nuclear waste dumps.

  • 1991: The U.S. Department of Energy proposes a “Monitored Retrievable Storage” nuclear waste facility in Wyoming. Gov. Mike Sullivan ended the project a year later, citing numerous concerns around transportation safety, the failures of the federal government as a trusted partner, and potential damage to other industries.
  • 1994: A University of Wyoming poll shows that more than 80 percent of residents opposed nuclear waste storage in Wyoming.
  • 1995: The Wyoming legislature passes laws regulating private and federal nuclear waste storage facilities. Importantly, they include safeguards to ensure Wyoming does not become a de facto permanent repository site.
  • 1998: Gov. Jim Geringer shuts down a proposal for a private nuclear waste storage facility.
  • 2010: The decades-long effort by the federal government to create a permanent nuclear disposal facility for high level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain Nevada ended, mainly for political reasons.
  • 2019: The Wyoming legislature’s Spent Fuel Rods Subcommittee studies the revenue opportunity for waste storage. Because of restrictions and limited funds provided in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, they abandon the effort.

The current attempt to bring nuclear waste to Wyoming comes from a bill sponsored by the Joint Minerals Committee that changes the definition of “high-level nuclear waste” to exclude “spent nuclear fuel.” This definition change would create a loophole to circumvent our existing laws that require extensive environmental protections and requirements for public comment and legislative approval for the storage of high-level radioactive waste.

Call it what you like — but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Legislators can change the definition of “high level nuclear waste,” but spent nuclear fuel is still high level nuclear waste, and “spent” does not equal safe. The definition change is out of sync with the definition held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, setting the stage for conflict with the federal agency created to regulate high-level radioactive waste — do we really want to invite more uncertainty in management, jeopardizing land, water, wildlife and communities?

If you share our concerns, we could use your help. Tell your legislators that you oppose nuclear dumps in Wyoming, and sign up here to be notified with alerts as this bill moves through the legislature.

Looking for more information? Check out our nuclear waste storage fact sheet. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a conversation.

VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR WIND RIVER MULE DEER MIGRATION

Posted on by Meghan Riley

Wyoming is renowned for its wide-ranging ungulates and boasts the most extensive migration corridors left in the Lower 48. However, maintaining connectivity in these corridors requires maps of animals’ seasonal movements — it’s darn near impossible to protect critical habitat if you don’t know where it is!

Thankfully, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is now making moves to formally recognize and share maps for the Upper Wind River Mule Deer Migration Corridor.

These incredible mule deer migrate through some of our wildest places, including the Wind River Basin, the Gros Ventre, Absarokas, and Grand Teton National Park. But development on private lands is one of the chief threats to this migration, according to WGFD biologists’ threat evaluation.

To ensure Upper Wind River Mule Deer have the connected habitat they need to survive and thrive, we need a map of their corridor to direct conservation efforts where they’ll do the most good. If you’d like to see this and other migration corridors mapped, the agency needs to hear from you!

Write a comment in support of mapping this migration

We know from past experience that public support matters when it comes to migration corridors. It is up to us to show the state that Wyomingites overwhelmingly support the sharing of data and mapping of migration corridors.

Your comments can be brief and speak to your connection to Wyoming’s mule deer — the more personal, the better! You may also want to touch on the suggested points below.

SUPPORT WIND RIVER MULE DEER: COMMENT NOW

Deadline: August 9, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Suggested talking points:

  • Support for habitat mapping and data sharing: We can’t hope to protect habitat for deer that migrate through the Upper Wind River Valley without having a clear picture of where their migration corridor is. I am grateful to our biologists for mapping this migration and fully support this migration corridor being formally recognized and shared with the public.
  • In favor of funding for habitat improvements: Given the pressures these deer face on private land in the Dubois area, I recommend that Wyoming Game and Fish Department ask that this migration corridor be prioritized for funding through the USDA’s Migratory Big Game Initiative. The more we can do to fund habitat improvements in this migration corridor, the better.
  • Enthusiasm for mapping this corridor and others: It is heartening to see new migration corridors being mapped and shared with the public. In addition to formally recognizing the Upper Wind River Mule Deer Migration Corridor, I strongly encourage biologists to do the same for other migrations around the state.*

*Many migrations would benefit from being formally recognized, including Wyoming Range mule deer, Carter Mountain pronghorn, Shirley Basin pronghorn, Clarks Fork mule deer, and Upper Shoshone mule deer. If you have a personal connection to any of these, feel free to include that in your comment!

Thank you once again for voicing your support for the Upper Wind River Mule Deer Migration Corridor — and for your care and stewardship of our phenomenal wildlife!

ROOFTOP SOLAR IS UNDER ATTACK (YET AGAIN)

Posted on by Era Aranow

A bad bill that tried to end net metering in the 2023 legislative session is back — and we need your help to stop it.

Over the years, you’ve told the Senate, the Corporations Committee, and the Travel Committee how important net metering is to Wyomingites. Those efforts paid off, but now we need you to speak up again. This time, it’s the Minerals Committee that needs to be told how strongly Wyoming supports net metering.

Having the freedom to use our roofs, property, businesses, and homes to generate the electricity that helps power our lives is a policy that makes sense for Wyoming.

But the bill “Small customer electricity generation” would end net metering and negatively impact current and future rooftop solar customers, businesses, and employees.

This bill would eliminate jobs, limit the energy choices Wyomingites currently have to produce their own power, and harm long-term investments. Even its discussion (yet again!) creates significant uncertainty for customers and installers in Wyoming.

STOP ANOTHER ATTACK ON NET METERING

Deadline: July 30, 2024

On July 31 in Casper, the representatives and senators of the Joint Minerals Committee will vote on whether or not to end net metering. We need to send the message to the committee that net metering is a policy that works for Wyoming, and that we should not favor utility monopolies and their rising rates over private investment.

Please help us keep net metering alive by telling the Minerals Committee to vote ‘NO’ on “Small customer electricity generation.” If it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it!

You don’t need to have rooftop solar to make a difference. Some of the most effective testimony and comments we’ve seen on this issue are from folks without rooftop solar but who would like to see more of it.

Thank you for once again taking action and showing your support for net metering. Together, we’ll stop this bad bill, just as we’ve done in years past.

Looking for more information and points to include in your message to the committee? See our fact sheet for net metering.

STOP THE EXPANSION OF LIMITED MINING OPERATIONS TO NEW MINERAL TYPES!

Posted on by Era Aranow

Your voice makes a difference! Will you urge the Joint Minerals Committee to protect public input on mines and ensure industry is not exempted from important health and environmental protections? Find suggested talking points to help you write your message below.

MESSAGE THE COMMITTEE

Imagine this: Your new neighbor is a gaping 15-acre mine, bringing clouds of dust, unrelenting noise, and near-constant truck traffic to your area. Your peace and quiet are disrupted, your property values decrease, and, worst of all, there’s almost nothing you can do about it.

It may be hard to believe, but this nightmare scenario is entirely possible under the current process for Limited Mining Operations. LMOs are operations for mining inert materials like sand and gravel that are 15 acres or less, or approximately the size of 12 football fields.

LMOs are exempt from the mine permit process and do not require public comment, which means that a dusty, noisy mine could become your new neighbor without you having a chance to voice your concerns. While many LMOs help ranchers maintain roads on their own property, over the years we’ve seen more and more commercial operators using this permit exemption close to residential areas.

And here’s where it gets worse: Legislators are now proposing to expand these permit exemptions to include almost all mineral types. This increases the likelihood of a commercial LMO near you, and elevates the risk of water pollution and other hazards.

This proposed legislation takes an existing problem and makes it potentially far more damaging. But you can help today by asking the Joint Minerals Committee to oppose the expansion of LMOs to new mineral types.

ACT NOW – MESSAGE THE COMMITTEE

Deadline: July 29, 2024

You may have heard about the proposed gravel pit in Casper, an example that demonstrates how even existing types of LMOs can significantly impact the quality of life in an area. The last thing we should be doing is expanding these exemptions. But if this bill moves forward, that’s exactly what would happen.

This bill would expand the LMO category from sand and gravel to include gold, lithium, rare earth metals, and others. If these operations are exempted from a full mine permit, there would be less oversight from the Department of Environmental Quality and no public comment requirements for minerals with known risks.

Some even see this expansion as a means to allow large mines to get started on a small scale before their full permitting process is complete.

On July 30 in Casper, the representatives and senators of the Joint Minerals Committee will vote on the expansion of LMOs. We need to send the message to the committee that Wyomingites like you and me value public participation in these processes, and that we should not exempt industry from important health, safety, and environmental protections for these new minerals.

How large is a 15-acre mine?

Looking for more information and points to include in your message to the committee? See our fact sheet for Limited Mining Operations.

Thank you for reaching out to your legislators. Together, we can keep this from getting worse!