This bill establishes a statute of limitations for the initiation of enforcement actions related to environmental quality violations in Wyoming. Specifically, it amends W.S. 35-11-109 and W.S. 35-11-701 by inserting a new provision that no enforcement case or action can be initiated later than five years after the date of the suspected violation, or for a continuing violation, the most recent date of the suspected violation. However, this limitation does not apply if federal law or an agreement between the state and a federal agency allows for a different time frame. Additionally, the bill allows for a five-year period from the effective date for violations suspected to have occurred before that date to initiate enforcement actions.

The bill also mandates that the Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Quality Council create any necessary rules to implement its provisions. While the act is generally effective immediately upon completion of legislative processes, the specific sections regarding the statute of limitations will take effect on July 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
24LSO-0153 v0.3: 35-11-109, 35-11-701