18-5-509. Referral.

(a) Any board of county commissioners which receives an application to permit a wind energy facility which does not meet the definition of a facility as defined in W.S. 35-12-102(a)(vii) may refer the facility to the industrial siting council for additional permitting consistent with the requirements of the Industrial Development Information and Siting Act, W.S. 35-12-101 through 35-12-119, but the provisions of W.S. 39-15-111 and 39-16-111 shall not apply. A referral shall be made only when a board of county commissioners finds there are potentially significant adverse environmental, social or economic issues which the county board of commissioners does not have the expertise to consider or authority to address.

(b) Any facility referred to the industrial siting council under this section may apply to the council for a waiver of permit application pursuant to W.S. 35-12-107.

(c) Upon receiving a referral pursuant to this section and within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the referral, the director of the department of environmental quality may reject the referral by giving written notice of the rejection to the county making the referral and the applicant. No appeal from the decision of the director under this subsection shall be allowed.

(d) A referral made pursuant to this section shall not relieve a board of county commissioners from its obligation to consider whether the proposed wind energy facility should be permitted under the standards required by this article.

(e) A referral made pursuant to this section shall be made no later than thirty (30) days after an application is deemed complete pursuant to W.S. 18-5-505.