FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2022
7:45 Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:15 Welcome and Introductions
8:30 EPA Goals, Priorities, and Initiatives
Daniel Blackman, US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta
The EPA Regional Administrator discusses key issues under the current Administration, including EPA's actions to advance environmental justice, to tackle the climate crisis and to fund the recent bipartisan infrastructure law.
9:30 PFAS – Forecasting a Changing Regulatory Landscape
Jeaneanne Gettle, US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta
Mark A. Johnson, Geosyntec Consultants, Columbia, MD
Kim Nimmer, NC Department of Environmental Quality, Raleigh
Jean Zhuang, Southern Environmental Law Center, Chapel Hill
Contaminants of emerging concern, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, include many thousands of chemicals that are used in our products and released into our air, water, and soil. These chemicals may be considered "emerging" because they may pose newly identified (or newly publicized) risks to human health or the environment. At the federal level, the U.S. EPA recently released a document titled PFAS Strategic Roadmap outlining an agenda to address PFAS. At the state level, some states are adopting, or have adopted, drinking water standards; others are addressing the chemicals through consumer product legislation or Clean Water Act permitting. This panel will present several perspectives on this complex topic focusing on PFAS, and will discuss the various roles of governmental agencies, industry, and public stakeholders as we work collectively to address this complicated issue.
10:30 Break and Exhibitor Showcase
11:00 NC/SC/GA Breakout Sessions
Each state provides respective case law and legislative updates.
12:15 Adjourn for the day
SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022
7:30 Family Breakfast
8:25 Welcome and Introductions
8:30 Three State Panel – Climate Change & Resiliency
Jill H. Andrews, GA Coastal Resources Division, Brunswick
Marlena Byrne, NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency, Raleigh
Eric G. Fosmire, SC Office of Resilience, Columbia
Dale Morris, Office of Resiliency and Sustainability, Charleston
This panel addresses climate impacts and resiliency planning (near- and mid-term) in Georgia, the Carolinas and in Charleston. Emerging threats include dynamic water risks (flood and drought), rising seas and increasing tidal risks and storm surge impacts, stormwater management, land-use opportunities, and basin-wide, statewide, and inter-state collaborations. Opportunities and challenges of nature-based approaches to climate hazards will also be addressed.
9:30 Federal Trends in Water Regulation
James Choate, US Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston
Leif Palmer, US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta
Mary Katherine Stukes, Moore & Van Allen, Charlotte (Moderator)
This panel focuses on current developments under the Clean Water Act, including recent court rulings leading to significant changes in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Act and its issuance of authorizations relying on the definition of "waters of the United States" under the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule and certifications issued under the 401 Certification Rule. Panelists, seasoned attorneys with the USACE and EPA, respectively, analyze these recent pendulum swings, discuss related issues, and provide perspective on where the agencies and courts may be headed in sorting out current regulatory uncertainty over wetlands permitting at the federal level.
10:30 Break and Exhibitor Showcase
10:45 Hot Topics
Kym Hunter, Southern Environmental Law Center, Chapel Hill
Katherine E. Ross, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh
Jeff Tyburski, Geosyntec Consultants, Apex
Join us for a fun fast-paced session about emerging trends and the latest updates on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Renewable Energy and Brownfields Development. After the presentation of each of the three topics, there will be a question answer session.
11:30 Mental Health Awareness†
Michael Abro, Lawyers Helping Lawyers, Charleston
During this program, attendees learn about behavior health problems present in the legal community and will have an opportunity to assess their own stress levels. The presenter shares information related to signs of a potential behavioral health concern. Strategies for addressing these concerns, including mindfulness practices, are examined. In addition, attendees learn about educational resources related to mental health, wellness, and self-care to enhance their knowledge of their duties of competence, diligence, and honesty in the practice of law.
12:30 Adjourn
† Indicates portion providing Substance Abuse/Mental Health credit