Encampment area watersheds study.

WORKING DRAFT
2008
STATE OF
WYOMING
08LSO-0228

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0105

Encampment
area
watershed
s
study.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Steward

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
the environment; providing for a study by the department of environmental quality on

t
he
impacts of
oil and
natural gas development in the Encampment
area
watershed
s that have been identified for leasing of federal subsurface oil and gas rights
; providing for assistance by other state agencies; providing for a report; providing
an
appropriation;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

(a)

The department of environmental quality shall study the
impacts of
oil and
natural gas development in the Encampment
area
watershed
s
.
The study shall include:

(i)

A
review and
analysis of current
state and federal
law providing for
oil and
natural gas leasing, drilling and production,

and pipeline collection and distribution,
including

preplanning and project study requirements,
impacts to rural residen
ces
and subdivisions,
surface and subsurface impacts,
notice to landowners, opportunity for public input and environmental protections
;

(ii)

A
review and
analysis of
state and federal
oil and
natural gas leasing

impacts
in
Wyoming
;

(iii)

A
n
analysis of
potential impacts from
oil and
natural gas leasing in
the
Encampment
area
watershed
s
, including
agriculture, wildlife, municipal, recreation, tourism
, social services,
cumulative statewide impacts
, groundwater investigations, baseline water quality,
soil surveys
,

potential contaminations and the potential for secondary beneficial uses of produced water
;

(iv)

An analysis of actions necessary to protect the resources in the
Encampment
area
watershed
s
, including agriculture, wildlife, municipal, recreation
,
tourism
,
social services
, environmental, rural residential, aesthetics and roads
;
and

(v)

A review and analysis of local, state and federal land use plans and the potential effect of
oil and
natural gas production on the land use plans
.

(b)

All state agencies, including the
Wyoming water development commission,
the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission,
the Wyoming game and fish department
,
the Wyoming department of agriculture,
the office of state lands and investments
and the
state engineer shall cooperate with and assist the
Wyoming
department of environmental quality
as requested in performing the duties required under this act.

(c)

The
Wyoming
department of environmental quality may consult and coordinate with county and local governmental entities and with local conservation districts as deemed necessary.

(
d
)

The
department of environmental quality
shall report the results of the study to the joint
minerals, business and economic development
interim committee
with an interim report
by November 1, 200
8
and a final report by November 1, 2009
. The report
s
shall include any recommendations for statutory
or rule
changes to
protect the
Encampment
area
watershed
s

from the impacts of
oil and
natural gas development
and to authorize investigations and
necessary
actions by the
department of environmental quality or other state agency
.

(e
)

T
he joint
minerals, business and economic development
interim committee shall review the report and may sponsor legislation to implement any recommendations or other legislation it deems beneficial to ensure
the protection of the
Encampment
area
watershed
s
.

Section
2
.

There is appropriated
five
hundred

thousand dollars ($
5
0
0
,000.00)
from the
general
fund to the
department
of environmental quality
. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 20
1
0.

This appropriation shall only be expended for the purpose of
conducting the
Encampment
area
watershed
s

study.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on
June 30, 20
1
0
.

This appropriation shall not be included in the
department
of environmental quality
's

2011-2012 standard biennial budget request.

Section
3
.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

1
HB0105