March 17, 2026 - In DEQ By kguille 0

Wyoming DEQ Releases 2025 State of the Environment Report

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CHEYENNE, WYOMING – The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has published its 2025 State of the Environment Report, showcasing the agency’s ongoing initiatives, accomplishments, and updates across its four core areas: air, land, waste, and water.

“Our 2025 State of the Environment Report highlights ongoing advancements in air monitoring, water management, reclamation, and compliance. This work underscores our commitment to a regulatory framework that protects Wyoming’s unique environment while providing the certainty businesses need to operate and flourish. Our success is built on the shared dedication of DEQ staff and the regulated community to the state’s long-term well-being,” said Todd Parfitt, Director of DEQ.

The report outlines several significant achievements and metrics, including:

• Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Division: Successfully mitigated public safety hazards by reclaiming 520 linear feet of dangerous highwalls and remediating nearly 14 acres of mine-related subsidence.
• Administration Division (ADM): Guaranteed Wyoming’s environmental protection by managing $3.27 billion in bonding instruments, ensuring that regulated entities have secured the funds necessary for future reclamation.
• Air Quality Division (AQD): Achieved and maintained federal air quality attainment in the Upper Green River Basin, with monitoring data confirming compliance with stringent national ozone standards.
• Industrial Siting Division (ISD): Facilitated responsible economic growth by permitting six major industrial facilities, including the Kemmerer Nuclear Power Plant and Dry Creek Trona projects, while mitigating potential social, environmental, and infrastructure impacts.
• Land Quality Division (LQD): Oversaw the successful reclamation of 3,860 acres of coal mine land, returning it to stable and productive post-mining use.
• Solid & Hazardous Waste Division (SHWD): The Storage Tank Program ranks among the nation’s top performers, maintaining an average technical compliance rate of 97%.
• Water Quality Division (WQD): Safeguarded Wyoming’s surface and groundwater by processing more than 800 permit actions and conducting over 500 onsite inspections to ensure compliance with state and federal water quality standards. “Environmental protection is an ongoing effort,” stated Parfitt. “While we are proud of the accomplishments outlined in this report, important challenges remain. We are committed to addressing them with support from our local, state, and federal partners, and other stakeholders.”

Wyoming’s State of the Environment Report is available online and can be viewed by clicking here: https://deq.wyoming.gov/about/state-of-the-environment/

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