The disposal of decommissioned wind turbine blades and towers in Wyoming Final Rule Notice now effective

By Kimberly Mazza

CHEYENNE, Wyo – The Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025, titled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” temporarily delayed the effective date of the Wyoming Regulatory Program amendments that were published on January 13, 2025 in the Federal Register. 

The Wyoming Regulatory Program amendments facilitated the disposal of inert decommissioned wind turbine blades and towers as backfill in end walls or the final pit voids in surface coal mining operations. The amendments also included changes that provided consistency with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Rules on Rules, as well as corrected grammatical errors.

As of March 21, 2025, the Wyoming Regulatory Program amendments delay was lifted, and the  Wyoming Regulatory Program amendments went into effect. 

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality published a news release announcing the January 13, 2025 Record of Decision by the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) regarding the repurposing of inert decommissioned wind turbine blades and towers in Wyoming. The press release and final rule by OSMRE can be found here.