Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies

Barry Breen, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management, discusses his career at the EPA with Emily Mott, senior associate at Baker Botts LLP and past member of the Section's Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.

In 1990, Congress amended the Clean Air Act with Title VI, with provisions for protecting the ozone layer. In this program David Doniger and host Matt Oakes discuss the history and successful implementation of Title VI and the Montreal Protocol. The sun emits radiation, including harmful ultraviolet radiation. The ozone layer absorbs a portion of the sun's radiation, preventing it from reaching th...

Jessica Sharrow Thompson, Senior Counsel, EHS & Sustainability at PPG, is interviewed by Evynn Overton, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., about the biggest surprises, challenges, and opportunities when making the switch from private practice to an in-house counsel role. This episode is the first in a series on the perspective and role of in-house counsel in environmental law.

Peter D. Wolf, President of Nuclear Energy Solutions, Inc., interviews Jeffrey S. Merrifield, a former Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, regarding the proposed Part 53 regulations to the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA). Before interviewing Jeff, Peter discusses the development of nuclear energy regulation starting with the Atomic Energy Acts through NE...

This podcast discusses an emerging strategy that can be used to protect cultural resources and reserved rights. The role that tribes are playing in cooperatively managing federal lands and resources is gaining ground and setting the stage for meaningful tribal decision-making. Co-management, or equal decision making authority for activities that impact tribes, is gaining recognition as superior to...

Norman Rave, who has likely defended more EPA Clean Air regulations than any other attorney in the history of the United States Department of Justice, joins moderator Matt Oakes to discuss the interaction of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, State Implementation Plans, and the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. In this podcast Norman Rave and Matt Oakes explain the interaction of Clean Air Act...

In this episode on the global pollution crisis of marine debris, Joan Bondareff and Martha McCoy discuss the scope, sources, and impacts of the marine debris problem and measures to address it. The episode covers ongoing and emerging federal, nonprofit, community, and international action to prevent and respond to marine debris, as well as recent and proposed legislation addressing plastic polluti...

In this episode Dr. Devra Davis and moderator Matt Oakes discuss historic events that led to the development of the first federal Clean Air Act. Dr. Devra Davis joins moderator Matt Oakes to discuss the history of major air inversion events that led to smog clouds that killed many Americans in the middle part of the 20th Century. These inversion events combined with other factors to general moment...

Join us for our newest podcast episode on Carbon Capture and Storage. Michael Cummings speaks with Doug Scott (Vice-President, Great Plains Institute) and Stacey Dahl (Senior Manager of External Affairs, Minnkota Power Cooperative) about the current landscape of carbon capture, use, and storage including an overview of current and potential uses in power generation, enhanced oil recovery, and othe...

The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 3 of the three part series, join M...

The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 2 of the three part series, join M...

On this podcast, you'll hear Peter Wright, Special Counsel to US EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and Planning Chair Ilene Munk discussing the upcoming Master Class on Complex Environmental Liability Resolution coming up in June in Atlanta, GA.  Don't miss out and register for the conference by visiting ambar.org/cercla today!

The authors of the Year-in-Review publication will discuss key cases occurring in environmental litigation, including cases that have created an ongoing legal debate concerning the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, liability for PFAS contamination, corporate responsibility for climate change, and the scope of class certification in environmental cases. In part 1 of the three part series, join K...

Were you thrown head first into responding to written discovery at the start of your career without much guidance on what's actually expected of you and your clients?  Has it been a while since you've brushed up on the latest federal rule changes affecting discovery?  Are you curious about expectations for discovery of electronically stored information, whether or not block objections are really a...

In 2015, the Pawnee Nation approved a moratorium on fracking. The region was shaken by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on September 3, 2016. In March 2017, the Pawnee Nation filed a claim in tribal court, seeking damages from several oil companies, alleging hydraulic fracturing (specifically, wastewater injected into disposal wells) caused an increase in earthquakes, damaging tribal buildings and land....

Guests John Howes, Roger Feldman, and George Crabtree discuss how laws related to the overall process of making, consuming, and disposing of consumer goods need to be shaped and coordinated in order to avoid unintended environmental consequences.  Specifically, the panel talks about the rare earth metals that comprise a wide range of consumer electronics, and how sustainable policies need to be im...

The U.S. has approximately 72,000 miles of pipeline transporting crude oil across the country, but no pipeline has garnered more recent attention than the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Join host Shelly Geppert (Eimer Stahl LLP) and Troy A. Eid, a principal shareholder in the Denver office of Greenberg Traurig, and co-chair of the firm's American Indian Law Practice Group, as they discuss the prot...

Host Jillian Kirn interviews 30-year ABA member and former Section Chair Bill Penny, a partner with Burr and Foreman LLP in Nashville, and chair of the firm's environmental practice group. Bill shares with us his journey to becoming an environmental lawyer, advice for young lawyers, and the value he placed on his ABA membership in building his career. Please rate and review us on iTunes. Produced...

Host Joan Radovich interviews former Section Chair Sheila Hollis. Hollis is a 42-year member of the ABA, and talks about the early days of practicing environmental law, her experience as a woman in a very male-dominated profession, and tips and advice for career advancement she has learned over her long, storied career. Please rate and review us on iTunes. Produced by the ABA Section of Environmen...

Mat Todaro, chair of the Special Committee on Young Lawyers, talks with Julie Domike and Alex Zacaroli, co-editors of The Clean Air Act Handbook, Fourth Edition. They talk about the challenges in building a clean air practice, and offer career advice to lawyers working in the environmental law field. Please rate and review us on iTunes. Produced by the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resou...

Gary Steinbauer speaks with Peter L. Gray, co-chair of Dentons' U.S. Environment and Natural Resources Practice and author of the Superfund Manual: A Practitioner's Guide to CERCLA Litigation, about the changing legal issues dominating the CERCLA landscape. Since its enactment more than 35 years ago, CERCLA has led to numerous high-profile lawsuits and continues to be an active area of environment...

Assistant U.S. Attorney General John Cruden heads the U.S. Department of Justice Energy and Natural Resources Division, making him the top environmental lawyer at the U.S. DOJ. Cruden served as Chair of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources from 2009-2010. Having spent a great deal of time in courtrooms and speaking before large groups, he shares with our Leadership Development Pro...

Andy Emerson of Holland and Knight LLP talks with Andrew Stewart of Vinson and Elkins LLP about the US EPA's recent announcement of new National Enforcement Initiatives for FY 2017–2019. Despite a declining resource base, the Agency has expanded the sectors and industrial activities that will receive priority national enforcement attention. EPA civil and criminal enforcement offices will dedicate...

Past Section Chair Alexandra Dapolito Dunn discusses the value and art of networking, with many tips on how to create a memorable impression. Dunn is a former chair of our Section from 2012-2013, and currently serves as executive director of the Environmental Council of the States in Washington, DC. She's joined in the conversation by moderator John Milner. Sponsored by the ABA Section of Environm...

The U.S. EPA developed it's voluntary disclosure program to provide additional incentives for regulated entities to identify and correct non-compliance. Andy Emerson of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources talks with Andrew Stewart of Vinson & Elkins LLP about recent changes and updates to the EPA's program. Sponsored by the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. Onlin...