CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Thursday, Jan. 16, the State of Wyoming, along with 22 other states, filed litigation in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia challenging an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule known as the Waste Emissions Charge.
The proposed rule would establish a fee for the release of methane emissions, according to the Governor’s Office.
Wyoming and other states argue that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority in requiring a substantial fine for industries – particularly the oil and gas industry – when emitting gases, including CO2.
This legal challenge is the latest in a slew of litigation by Wyoming in challenging anti-fossil fuel rules issued by the EPA under President Joe Biden’s administration, the Governor’s Office said via press release.
“In particular, this rule negatively impacts small independent producers in Wyoming,” Governor Gordon said in a statement. “I am hopeful that the many regulations damaging our Wyoming core industries will be overturned by the courts, or reversed or substantially modified by the incoming Presidential Administration.”
A copy of the states’ filing can be found here.
