State to host seminar on oversight of Powder River Basin oil play

(Wyoming DEQ press release) — On Wednesday January 15, 2014, an open house and presentation seminar will be held in Douglas, WY to discuss state and local agency oversight for the oil and gas development in Converse County.

Douglas blowout
Chesapeake Energy’s Combs Ranch well north of Douglas experienced a blowout in April 2012. (Amanda Smith/The Glenrock Bird Central — click to enlarge)
Chesapeake Energy’s Combs Ranch well north of Douglas experienced a blowout in April 2012. (Amanda Smith/The Glenrock Bird Central — click to enlarge)

This meeting is being sponsored by the Converse County Commissioners, Wyoming State Senator Jim Anderson and Wyoming State Representative Richard Cannady.

The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Petroleum Association of Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish, and Commissioner Jim Willox will all discuss the agency’s roles and answer questions from the public.  Also on hand will be representatives from the Wyoming State Engineers Office, Wyoming Pipeline Authority, Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the Wyoming Water Development Commission.

The meeting starts at 5:30 with an open house at the Douglas High School Auditorium, 1710 Hamilton Street. Presentations will begin at 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. The public is encouraged to attend and will be given an opportunity to comment.

Leave a comment

WyoFile's goal is to provide readers with information and ideas that foster constructive conversations about the issues and opportunities our communities face. One small piece of how we do that is by offering a space below each story for readers to share perspectives, experiences and insights. For this to work, we need your help.

What we're looking for: 

  • Your real name — first and last. 
  • Direct responses to the article. Tell us how your experience relates to the story.
  • The truth. Share factual information that adds context to the reporting.
  • Thoughtful answers to questions raised by the reporting or other commenters.
  • Tips that could advance our reporting on the topic.
  • No more than three comments per story, including replies. 

What we block from our comments section, when we see it:

  • Pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish, and we expect commenters to do the same by using their real name.
  • Comments that are not directly relevant to the article. 
  • Demonstrably false claims, what-about-isms, references to debunked lines of rhetoric, professional political talking points or links to sites trafficking in misinformation.
  • Personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats.
  • Arguments with other commenters.

Other important things to know: 

  • Appearing in WyoFile’s comments section is a privilege, not a right or entitlement. 
  • We’re a small team and our first priority is reporting. Depending on what’s going on, comments may be moderated 24 to 48 hours from when they’re submitted — or even later. If you comment in the evening or on the weekend, please be patient. We’ll get to it when we’re back in the office.
  • We’re not interested in managing squeaky wheels, and even if we wanted to, we don't have time to address every single commenter’s grievance. 
  • Try as we might, we will make mistakes. We’ll fail to catch aliases, mistakenly allow folks to exceed the comment limit and occasionally miss false statements. If that’s going to upset you, it’s probably best to just stick with our journalism and avoid the comments section.
  • We don’t mediate disputes between commenters. If you have concerns about another commenter, please don’t bring them to us.

The bottom line:

If you repeatedly push the boundaries, make unreasonable demands, get caught lying or generally cause trouble, we will stop approving your comments — maybe forever. Such moderation decisions are not negotiable or subject to explanation. If civil and constructive conversation is not your goal, then our comments section is not for you. 

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *