CHEYENNE (WNE) — This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rule for how states are to develop plans required under the Clean Air Act for certain existing sources.

Traditionally, states with primacy over air quality, such as Wyoming, have latitude on developing plans, which consider state-specific factors important to Wyoming’s citizens, including unwarranted costs. 

EPA’s new federal rule, generally referred to as Section 111(d) Guidelines, significantly hinders Wyoming’s ability to administer its own state program, a news release from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office said.

Gordon issued the following statement in response to the rule: “This is yet another outrageous example of federal overreach that impedes our ability to administer our own air program. When EPA proposed its emission guideline rule, our Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality commented that states should retain the existing 36 months needed for citizen and industry input to develop the state plan.

“EPA ignored Wyoming and other states’ input and dictated 18 months was sufficient,” Gordon continued. “EPA’s rule stacks the deck in favor of the EPA imposing their federal plans, since states will now have significantly less time to develop plans and have meaningful input from citizens and industry. 

“Ironically, EPA found it necessary to provide itself more time to review state plans,” the governor added. “Once more, the EPA is showing insidious intent by telling the states, ‘D.C. knows best.’ EPA’s ‘best’ will end up needlessly raising costs for Wyoming, her citizens and her industries.”