If you were to walk to any newspaper stand on campus and pick up a Wyoming newspaper, whether it is local or statewide, upon opening you are almost guaranteed to find a story in which the state of Wyoming or its interests are at odds with the federal government.
Whether it is a specific organization such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the Fish and Wildlife Service, or legislative battles such as the recent 10th Circuit Court’s decision regarding same-sex marriage, Wyoming and the federal government seem to be in near constant opposition to one another.
Robert Cawley, a professor of Environmental Politics at UW, provided insight into the history that has led up to the current political situation in the state. Cawley believes the problem is a matter of who preceded whom in regards to authority and existence, which is not a struggle unique to Wyoming.
“The western states feel like they were here originally and the federal government has been intervening, but the simple fact is that they are only states because Congress allowed them to be,” said Cawley.
The current situation we see amounts to simple political maneuvering, Cawley said. The fact that Wyoming continues to take the federal government to court is an example of “recurring symbolic political moves.” Dr. Cawley suggested that the fact that we are at odds with several political organizations that are entities of the federal government gives politicians in Wyoming a flag to rally around. Cawley then pointed out that, besides the actual differences we fight over, our disputes with the federal government bond the community.
“You need an enemy, and you need someone to blame,” said Cawley.
The most recent “enemy” of the state came in the form of the EPA, which battled Governor Matt Mead within the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals over the EPA’s ruling that Wyoming’s plan to regulate emissions from the coal industry was insufficient.
The Assistant Director of the Wyoming Mining Association Travis Deti believes that there is some need for federal involvement, but believes for the most part Wyoming’s interests could be better managed through other means.
“We all recognize that we need certain regulations from the federal government, but these issues are best addressed at the state level whenever possible, we have a great department of environmental quality and they are closer to the industry,” said Deti
Additionally Deti said the industry feels generally misunderstood by the federal government.
“The federal government doesn’t understand Wyoming and they issue these sweeping verdicts, and at some point we have to say, ‘Hang on, you guys are already doing enough.’”
Speaking to the recent verdict, Mr. Deti said it felt like it made a clear statement about the federal governments feelings toward coal, “they are trying to regulate us out of the energy industry is what it comes down to.”
Rich Mylott, a public affairs director for the EPA’s region eight office said that Wyoming still has a key role in environmental affairs and that both parties share a common goal.
“The EPA has delegated WDEQ the authority to implement several federal laws and programs to protect public health and the environment in Wyoming,” said Mylott.
Additionally, Mylott said that in spite of what is portrayed in the media, the states and the EPA are united by a common goal.
“One may read about the high-profile issues or disagreements involving [Wyoming] and EPA, the reality is that we work together on a regular basis to implement environmental programs that protect Wyoming communities and the environment,” he said.
