JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released its annual State of the Environment Report for fiscal year 2024, which highlights the DEQ’s continued efforts, accomplishments and insights into the four primary responsibilities of the department: air, land, waste and water.

“The achievements highlighted in this report reflect the outstanding work and commitment of our DEQ staff, along with our state and local partners,” said Todd Parfitt, DEQ director. “While this document showcases our accomplishments, it also serves as a benchmark to guide Wyoming’s continued progress.”

The seven divisions that make up the DEQ are: Abandoned Mine Lands, Land Quality, Industrial Siting, Water Quality, Air Quality, Solid & Hazardous Waste and Administration. The entire report is available online here.

Highlighted statistics and achievements in the report include:

• The Abandoned Mine Land Division (AML) completed 21 reclamation projects. Since 1977, AML has completed over 1,200 reclamation projects.
• The Land Quality Division inspected 620 coal and non-coal mines, which found a compliance rate of 98.6%.
• The Industrial Siting Division, which assesses socio-economic and environmental impacts for companies planning major industrial developments, processed five permits, including two solar power projects and one wind farm project.
• The Storage Tank Program, which regulates and oversees cleanup of storage tanks to protect groundwater from contamination, remediated 1,393 out of 1,643 contaminated sites. There are 244 sites that are currently under continued corrective action.
• A total of 17,975 stream miles and 18,640 lake acres across the state have been assessed to determine if they meet water quality standards. The Water Quality Division develops plans, in conjunction with local stakeholders, for waters that don’t meet quality standards.
• From 2008 to 2024, air pollution in the Upper Green River Basin has been reduced by 9,740 tons of compounds that contribute to the formation of Ozone, which is the main factor in smog.