The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) founded in 1973, is a Wyoming state agency to protect, conserve and enhance the environment of Wyoming "through a combination of monitoring, permitting, inspection, enforcement and restoration/remediation activities". It consists of 6 divisions and since 1992, the Environmental Quality Council (EQC), a separate operating agency of 7 governor-appointed members.
Pressing issues have included since 2002 effects of Wyoming's rapidly expanding mineral and energy industries, such as natural gas production, fracking, oil refining, coal mining and uranium mining, including coalbed methane water management.