2012 Wyoming Statutes
TITLE 35 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
CHAPTER 11 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
35-11-306. Oil field waste disposal facilities; restriction.

(a) In addition to any other requirement or restriction imposed under the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act, no person shall locate, construct or operate any commercial oil field waste disposal facility within one (1) mile of any:

(i) Occupied dwelling house without the written consent of the owner of the dwelling; or

(ii) Public or private school without the consent of the school's board of trustees or board of directors.

(b) Any person who knowingly locates, constructs or operates a commercial oil field waste disposal facility in violation of subsection (a) of this section is subject to the penalties provided by W.S. 35-11-901. The provisions of subsection (a) of this section relating to commercial oil field waste disposal facilities shall be enforced by the water quality division of the Wyoming department of environmental quality.

(c) As a condition of receiving a permit pursuant to W.S. 35-11-301, any person locating, constructing or operating any commercial oil field waste disposal facility shall post a bond as required by this section.

(d) The council, by rules and regulations, shall establish bonding or financial assurance requirements for commercial oil field waste disposal facilities to assure there are adequate sources of funds to provide for:

(i) Cost effective closure, post-closure inspection and maintenance, and environmental monitoring and control, including but not limited to:

(A) Removal and disposal of buildings, fences, roads and other facility developments, and reclamation of affected lands;

(B) Construction of any waste cover or containment system required as a condition of any facility permit;

(C) Removal and off-site treatment or disposal of any wastes that are being stored or treated;

(D) Decontamination, dismantling and removal of any waste storage, treatment or disposal equipment or vessels;

(E) Operating any environmental monitoring systems or pollution control systems that are required as a condition of any facility permit or by order of the director; and

(F) Conducting periodic post-closure inspections of cover systems, surface water diversion structures, monitor wells or systems, pollutant detection and control systems, and performing maintenance activities to correct deficiencies that are discovered.

(ii) The estimated costs of remedying or abating, in a cost effective manner, the violation or damages caused by the violation in the event of any discharge of pollution to the air, land or to waters of the state which is in violation of a permit, standard, rule or requirement established under the provisions of this act.

(e) The bond established under subsection (d)(i) of this section shall be available during the operating life of the commercial oil field waste disposal facility to abate or remedy any violation of a permit, standard, rule or requirement established under the provisions of this act.

(f) The amount of any bond or financial assurance requirement shall be established by the director in accordance with procedures contained in rules and regulations of the council, but shall not be less than an amount sufficient to satisfy the purposes specified in subsection (d) of this section.

(g) The council shall provide rules for the establishment of a self-bonding program to be used if such a program will provide protection consistent with the objectives and purposes of article 3 of the act. In any such program, rules of the council shall provide for a timely reappraisal of pledged assets, require evidence of a suitable agent to receive service of process, assure that pledged assets are not already pledged for other projects, provide that pledged assets reside continuously in the state of Wyoming and provide for determination of the suitability of pledged assets.

(h) In lieu of a bond, the facility operator may deposit federally insured certificates of deposit payable to the Wyoming department of environmental quality, cash or government securities, or all three (3).

(j) Any bond may be cancelled by the surety only after ninety (90) days written notice to the director, and upon receipt of the director's written consent, which may be granted only when the requirements of the bond have been fulfilled.

(k) If the license to do business in Wyoming of any surety upon a bond filed pursuant to this act is suspended or revoked by any state authority then the facility operator, within thirty (30) days after receiving notice thereof, shall substitute a good and sufficient corporate surety licensed to do business in the state. Upon failure of the facility operator to make substitution of surety within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed sixty (60) days, the director shall suspend the facility permit to accept oil field wastes until proper substitution has been made.

(m) Bond forfeiture proceedings shall occur only after the department provides notice to the operator and surety pursuant to W.S. 35-11-701 that a violation exists and the council has approved the request of the director to begin forfeiture proceedings.

(n) With the approval of the council the director may:

(i) Expend forfeited funds to remedy and abate the circumstances with respect to which the bond was provided; and

(ii) Expend funds from the account under W.S. 35-11-424 to remedy and abate any immediate danger to human health, safety and welfare.

(o) If the forfeited bond or other financial assurance instrument is inadequate to cover the costs to carry out the activities specified in subsection (d) of this section, or in any case where the department has expended account monies under subsection (n) of this section, the attorney general shall bring suit to recover the cost of performing the activities where recovery is deemed possible.

(p) When the director determines that the violation has been remedied or the damage abated, the director shall release that portion of the bond or financial assurance instrument being held under paragraph (d)(ii) of this section. When the director determines that closure activities have been successfully completed at any commercial oil field waste disposal facility, the director shall release that portion of the bond or financial assurance instrument being held to guarantee performance of activities specified in subparagraphs (d)(i)(A) through (E) of this section. The remaining portion of the bond or financial assurance instrument shall be held for a period of not less than five (5) years after the date of facility closure, or so long thereafter as necessary to assure proper performance of any post-closure activities specified in subparagraph (d)(i)(F) of this section. The retained portion of the bond or other financial assurance instrument may be returned to the facility operator at an earlier date if the director determines that the facility has been adequately stabilized and that environmental monitoring or control systems have demonstrated that the facility closure is protective of public health and the environment consistent with the purposes of this act.