Episodes
Walter Mugdan discusses his career at EPA, where he began working in 1975 as a staff attorney in Region 2, and subsequently served in various supervisory positions in the Office of Regional Counsel, 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.
Published 02/20/24
Roger Martella discusses his service as General Counsel at the EPA from 2005-2008 with JD Howard, an associate at Morris, Manning, & Martin, LLP and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 01/22/24
In the second of two episodes, Quentin Pair continues a discussion on his career and environmental justice, and shares his thoughts on the future of EPA with Phillip Dupré, a Senior Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, ENRD - Environmental Defense Section, and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 10/31/23
In the first of two episodes, Quentin Pair discusses his career, which included serving as senior trial attorney for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for many years and working on environmental justice issues while at the EPA, with Phillip Dupré, a Senior Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, ENRD - Environmental Defense Section, and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 08/08/23
With its intricate layers of international, federal, and state protections, environmental law is more established than animal law. In this podcast episode, Glenda Valdez, a recent graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, interviews Professor Randall Abate, Assistant Dean for Environmental Studies and a Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School, about the experiences of these two fields and how they can work together to secure mutual gains. Professor Abate...
Published 07/24/23
This podcast episode examines key legal and policy issues around the use of prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and the ongoing shift away from fire suppression policies to reintroducing fire back onto the landscape.  Podcast Speakers: Steven Hattenbach is the USFS Forest Supervisor for the Cibola National Forest. Steven is also an attorney and presents for CLE’s and trainings on topics regarding wildfire liability. Anthony Martinez is the Fuels Program Manager for the Cibola National...
Published 07/13/23
Martin Topper discusses his career at the EPA, where he worked from 1987-1996, including serving as National Indian Program Coordinator for over seven years, with Cynthia Harris, staff attorney and Director of Tribal Programs at the Environmental Law Institute and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 06/30/23
John Cruden discusses his career, including his more than two decades, as a senior leader on environment and natural resource matters at the U.S. Department of Justice, 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.
Published 06/13/23
In the eighth and final episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Sarah Morath, Associate Professor at Wake Forest Law, and Megan Baroni, a partner with Robinson+Cole, discuss future litigation trends in the microplastics realm. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 03/30/23
In the seventh episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Jennifer Novak, an attorney at the Law Office of Jennifer Novak, and Kevin Budris, Advocacy Director at Just Zero, dive into the near-term and future efforts to regulate microplastics in the water, air, and product manufacturing. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 03/21/23
In the sixth episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Byron Brown, Senior Counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP, explains the current regulatory efforts around microplastics, including safer products, recycling efforts, and single-use plastic bans. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 02/21/23
In the fifth episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Dr. Scott Coffin, a Research Scientist at the California State Water Resources Control Board, and Catherine Boston, Principal Scientist and Risk Assessor at Roux Associates, investigate the health risks and human health toxicology of microplastics. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 01/13/23
In the fourth episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Dr. Lance Yonkos, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland, and Shannon Edmonds, Staff Scientist at Roux Associates, explore the ecological risks and ecotoxicology of microplastics, including in the aquatic and terrestrial systems. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston...
Published 01/03/23
In the third episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series, Andrew Patterson, Technical Director for Eurofins Specialty Services, and Rachel Maxwell, Senior Scientist at Roux Associates, discuss sampling methods and analytical techniques for finding microplastics in soil, water, air, and sediment. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 12/15/22
In the second episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics series, Shannon Edmonds and Rachel Henke, both of Roux Associates, discuss the presence of microplastics in the environment, including the lifecycle and sources of microplastics. This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 12/09/22
In the first episode of the Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns podcast series, Carroll Muffett explains the fundamentals of microplastics and the history of the plastic industry. Carroll Muffett is President and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). This podcast series is moderated by Kevin Minoli and Leland Frost, attorneys with the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP.
Published 11/29/22
David Coursen discusses his career at the EPA, where he worked on tribal matters in the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s, with Cynthia Harris, staff attorney and Director of Tribal Programs at the Environmental Law Institute and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 11/22/22
Chuck Elkins discusses his career at the EPA, where he held 10 different senior management positions between 1971 and 1995, with JD Howard, an associate at Morris, Manning, & Martin, LLP and past member of the Section’s Leadership Development Program. This podcast was recorded in late 2020.
Published 11/10/22
This podcast episode addresses recent US Supreme Court decisions and ongoing litigation before the Court regarding the interaction of surface water and groundwater. Three recent United States Supreme Court cases — the decisions in County of Maui v. Hawai’i Wildlife Fund and Mississippi v. Tennessee, and the ongoing litigation before the Supreme Court in Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado — reflect the slow but inevitable changes to the traditional legal framework surrounding federal...
Published 10/13/22
Keith Tashima, Environmental Safety & Health Counsel at Lockheed Martin Corporation, is interviewed by Peter Keays, Shareholder at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Shiller, about his recent transition from the DOJ to his current in-house position. Keith discusses a range of issues, including the challenges presented by his new role, his strategies for success, and tips for outside counsel working with new in-house counsel. This episode is the second in a series that explores the...
Published 08/09/22
In this episode, Heather Tanana and John Ruple (S.J. Quinney College of Law – University of Utah) discuss their recent NR&E article. Climate change is a global environmental problem, and within the United States, the adverse impacts of our changing climate are falling disproportionately on minority and low-income communities. Native Americans and tribal communities are being impacted in unique ways because of their long and deep ties to landscapes that are subject to rapid environmental...
Published 07/27/22
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.
Published 07/05/22
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 the planet's surface. In 1985, scientists discovered a hole in the ozone shield over Antarctica....
Published 06/17/22