Wyoming's Water Quality Policy Under Scrutiny

0:00It's April 29th. You're listening to Canada News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Corey with the story. Wyoming's Department of Environmental Quality has a policy since 2020 that only lets state and federal government folks submit water samples. For deciding if rivers and streams are too polluted under the Clean Water Act, they're proposing to keep their rule in a new document outlining how they check water quality standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jumped in with a letter last month, saying states must use all existing and available data, not just. Government collected stuff. They want Wyoming to explain any exclusions with solid science or drop the limit. Conservation groups like the Wyoming Outdoor Council and American Rivers are echoing that, calling the policy a barrier to good data from, universities, citizen scientists, and nonprofits. They point out Wyoming's huge size and tiny population mean the state needs more eyes on its waters, especially with so many streams unassessed.

1:01This stems from a decade-old fight where data from an anti-grazen group got tossed, leading to fewer pollution listings. But DEQ officials say the restrictions ensure reliable results and haven't cut the number of impaired waters on their list. DEQ plans to review these comments and respond, while pushing forward with clear overall methods for water checks, which even critics see as a solid. Upgrade for protecting Wyoming's streams.