WILSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has announced that Basecamp Hospitality LLC, which operates the Tammah glamping resort near Teton Village, is no longer in violation of the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act, Wyoming Water Quality Rules or permit conditions for incorrectly operating the sand mound septic system on its property.
The DEQ had cited the resort for violating those mandates on Oct. 29 when the agency detected elevated ammonia levels in the groundwater. The DEQ said it inspected the site in October and found that the sand mound septic system was not operating properly. Following that Notice of Violation, Basecamp was required to transport waste off site for disposal or face a steep fine.
Basecamp complied with the requirement and completed “the required corrective actions in a timely manner,” the DEQ announced on Friday, Nov. 15. “Basecamp has completed all required corrective actions and submitted information demonstrating the Notice of Violation’s compliance issues have been corrected. Therefore, the DEQ issued a Notice of Compliance to Basecamp on Nov. 15, allowing Basecamp to resume operations of the sand mound septic system in accordance with the issued permit.”
According to the DEQ’s announcement, Basecamp found that the ammonia detected in water at the bottom of the sand mound was associated with “an underlying confining clay layer of soil,” which has since been corrected, allowing the system to function properly.
“The cause of elevated ammonia in the groundwater monitoring well is currently unknown; however, the Basecamp septic system has been ruled out as the source, and DEQ will continue to investigate the source of the elevated ammonia levels,” the agency’s statement reads.
The project has faced criticism for its proximity to Fish Creek. In November 2022, local nonprofit Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) filed a petition challenging the authorization of the site’s wastewater permit, which lead to a construction halt in February.
