2023 Wyoming Statutes › Title 35 - Public Health and Safety › Chapter 11 - Environmental Quality › Article 3 - Water Quality › Section 35-11-302 - Administrator's Authority to Recommend Standards, Rules, Regulations or Permits.

35-11-302. Administrator's authority to recommend standards, rules, regulations or permits.
(a) The administrator, after receiving public comment and after consultation with the advisory board, shall recommend to the director rules, regulations, standards and permit systems to promote the purposes of this act. Such rules, regulations, standards and permit systems shall prescribe:
(i) Water quality standards specifying the maximum short-term and long-term concentrations of pollution, the minimum permissible concentrations of dissolved oxygen and other matter, and the permissible temperatures of the waters of the state;
(ii) Effluent standards and limitations specifying the maximum amounts or concentrations of pollution and wastes which may be discharged into the waters of the state;
(iii) Standards for the issuance of permits for construction, installation, modification or operation of any public water supply and sewerage system, subdivision water supply, treatment works, disposal system or other facility, capable of causing or contributing to pollution;
(iv) Standards for the definition of technical competency and the certification of operating personnel for community water systems and nontransient noncommunity water systems, sewerage systems, treatment works and disposal systems and for determining that the operation shall be under the supervision of certified personnel. Prior to recommending these standards to the director, the administrator shall consult with affected municipalities, water and sewer districts, counties and treatment operators;
(v) Standards for the issuance of permits as authorized pursuant to section 402(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended in 1972, and as it may be hereafter amended;
(vi) In recommending any standards, rules, regulations, or permits, the administrator and advisory board shall consider all the facts and circumstances bearing upon the reasonableness of the pollution involved including:
(A) The character and degree of injury to or interference with the health and well being of the people, animals, wildlife, aquatic life and plant life affected;
(B) The social and economic value of the source of pollution;
(C) The priority of location in the area involved;
(D) The technical practicability and economic reasonableness of reducing or eliminating the source of pollution; and
(E) The effect upon the environment.
(vii) Such reasonable time as may be necessary for owners and operators of pollution sources to comply with rules, regulations, standards or permits;
(viii) Financial assurance requirements for plugging, abandonment, post-closure monitoring, corrective actions and site reclamation for any class I hazardous waste or nonhazardous waste underground injection facility or class V coalbed methane underground injection facility as described in 40 C.F.R. Part 146. Rules, regulations, standards and permit systems recommended and prescribed under this paragraph shall apply only to any permit issued, renewed or transferred after July 1, 2018, under department of environmental quality regulations for a class I hazardous waste or nonhazardous waste underground injection facility or class V coalbed methane underground injection facility;
(ix) Standards for housed facilities where swine are confined, fed and maintained for a total of forty-five (45) consecutive days or more in any twelve (12) month period and the feedlot or facility is designed to confine an equivalent of one thousand (1,000) or more animal units. If any county adopts a land use plan or zoning resolution which imposes stricter requirements than those found in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, the county requirements shall prevail. These standards shall include:
(A) Financial assurance for accidents and closure requirements for facilities which contain treatment works;
(B) Waste and manure management plans to prevent pollution of waters of the state, to minimize odors for public health concerns, pathogens and vectors capable of transporting infectious diseases and to specify land application requirements;
(C) Setback requirements which will restrict the location and operation of structures housing swine and lagoons within:
(I) One (1) mile of an occupied dwelling without the written consent of the owner of the house;
(II) One (1) mile of a public or private school without the consent of the school's board of trustees or board of directors;
(III) One (1) mile of the boundaries of any incorporated municipality without the resolution and consent of the governing body of the municipality;
(IV) One-quarter (1/4) mile of a water well permitted for current domestic purposes without the written consent of the owner of the well;
(V) One-quarter (1/4) of a mile of a perennial stream unless it is demonstrated to the department that potential adverse impacts to the water quality of the stream can be avoided.
(D) Provisions for notice of intent to issue a permit and opportunity for public comment.
(x) Standards for the determination of capacity development capabilities to ensure that all new or modified community water systems and new or modified nontransient noncommunity water systems commencing operation after October 1, 1999, demonstrate capacity development capabilities and by October 1, 2001, develop a strategy to assist all community and noncommunity water systems in acquiring and maintaining capacity development by adopting procedures governing capacity development in compliance with section 1420 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g-9). The department shall have the authority to require new systems in noncompliance of capacity development capabilities to take steps to correct inadequacies or cease water system operations;
(xi) Standards for subdivision applications submitted to the department under W.S. 18-5-306. The administrator shall consult with county commissioners and the state engineer's office in developing standards to recommend to the director.
(b) The administrator, after receiving public comment and after consultation with the advisory board, shall recommend to the director rules, regulations and standards to promote the purposes of this act. The rules, regulations and standards shall prescribe:
(i) A schedule for the use of credible data in designating uses of surface water consistent with the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. sections 1251 through 1387). The use of credible data shall include consideration of soils, geology, hydrology, geomorphology, climate, stream succession and human influence on the environment. The exception to the use of credible data may be in instances of ephemeral or intermittent water bodies where chemical or biological sampling is not practical or feasible;
(ii) The use of credible data in determining water body's attainment of designated uses. The exception to the use of credible data may be in instances where numeric standards are exceeded, or in ephemeral or intermittent water bodies where chemical or biological sampling is not practical or feasible.
(c) Nothing in this act shall be construed to supersede or abrogate any valid water right. It is recognized that diversion of water caused by the exercise of a valid water right is an allowable practice. The administrator shall:
(i) Develop water quality standards for surface waters where hydrologic modification resulting from the exercise of valid water rights precludes the attainment of existing water quality standards;
(ii) Prepare a schedule to develop appropriate water quality standards based on the completion of a use attainability analysis for any waters that have been identified pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1315(b) where dams, diversions or other types of hydrologic modification preclude the attainment of any existing water quality standard.