The "Wyoming Clean Air and Geoengineering Prohibition Act" aims to prohibit the release of atmospheric contaminants in Wyoming's airspace, addressing concerns over atmospheric modification experiments that may pose risks to public health and the environment. The act establishes definitions for terms such as "atmospheric contaminant," "geoengineering," and "weather modification," and explicitly prohibits activities like solar radiation management and stratospheric aerosol injection. It empowers the director of the Department of Environmental Quality to monitor compliance, issue cease and desist orders, and enforce penalties for violations, which can include significant fines and imprisonment.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions to protect individuals who report violations from retaliation and mandates the Department of Environmental Quality to conduct studies on the potential threats posed by atmospheric contaminants. It also makes amendments to existing laws regarding cloud seeding, replacing references to "weather modification" with "cloud seeding" and emphasizing the need for proper safeguards in such activities. The act authorizes funding for two full-time positions within the Department of Environmental Quality to facilitate its implementation and requires the department to create necessary rules for enforcement.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 9-1-905, 9-1-906, 9-1-907, 9-1-908, 9-1-909