ABA News Experts to discuss environmental regulation, policy issues at ABA conference in Orlando

Government officials, in-house counsel and academics will discuss key topics and issues confronting environmental, energy and resources lawyers at the 47th Spring Conference hosted by the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources on April 18-20 at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando. Keynote speakers include William Wehrum, assistant administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 8 a.m. on April 19; and Noah Valenstein, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, at 8 a.m. on April 20. Program highlights include: - "Trump's First Year: Regulatory Reform and a New Direction?" - Panelists, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency General Counsel Matt Leopold, will discuss significant environmental regulatory and policy decisions of the Trump administration's first year including: rescinding the Clean Power Plan, exiting the Paris Agreement on climate change and revisiting the definition of jurisdictional waters under the Clean Water Act. They will examine the impact of budget constraints, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement goals on the direction of EPA, as well as the opportunities presented by the administration and the views of those that may be opposed to the agency's proposed regulatory reforms. - "The Domino Effect of Rising Seas: Coastal Siting and Future Waves of Litigation? - Sea level rise is creating new environmental challenges. These challenges include implementing relevant environmental policies to adapt to the risks posed by stronger and more frequent storms and coastal inundation. Sea level rise also has evolving financial and risk management implications in the disclosure and insurance arenas. This panel will discuss the steps being taken in response to sea level rise and the potentially increasing wave of disclosure/risk management litigation with legal perspectives from the government, business and risk management points of view. - "The New Administration on the World Stage: From NAFTA to Paris, Ozone, Oceans, Chemicals and E-Waste" - Ramifications of U.S. policy shifts extend globally, from NAFTA to the Paris Agreement and beyond. International practitioners and academic experts will review actions taken by the Trump administration and explain how key implications of revised U.S. positions will affect the practice of environmental law. The panel will consider the role of the United States in significant international environmental agreements and forums, such as the Montreal Protocol's MOP 28 Kigali Amendment to regulate greenhouse gases; international agreements protecting marine resources, illegal fishing and ocean bed mining; the UN's High-level Political Forum 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and international efforts surrounding mercury and the disposal of e-waste. This panel will provide a current understanding of the administration's impacts on the world stage and the implications for future U.S. international environmental, energy and resource commitments. Published: Wed, Apr 18, 2018