Wyoming’s state government formally adopted a requirement on Nov. 12 for oil and gas producers to test nearby water bodies before and after drilling their wells, effective Mar. 1, 2014. Landowners must give their consent for operators to sample the permitted or adjudicated water sources, the state’s Oil & Gas Conservation Commission said. These sources include domestic, stock, industrial, irrigation, municipal, or other permitted uses of water, it indicated. Gov. Matt Mead (R), who has made baseline water testing part of his energy strategy, thanked everyone who submitted comments, and specifically cited the Environmental Defense Fund and Petroleum Association of Wyoming for their constructive input. “This is another example of Wyoming leading the nation in striking the right balance between producing needed energy and protecting our natural resources,” Mead said. “We’re going to see how this rule is going to be implemented now. We know that since we have […]