Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies

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 has a distinguished background teaching, writing, and mentoring students for three decades on domestic and international environmental law and animal law topics. He has published six books on these issues, with a recent emphasis on climate justice for vulnerable populations of humans and nonhumans. His latest book is titled What Can Animal Law Learn From Environmental Law? (Environmental Law Institute Press, 2d ed., 2020).

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 Forest and has been Incident Commander on multiple wildfire operations. Both presenters offer a unique senior level management and law/policy perspective. Additionally, both presenters have been involved with the recent pause and resumption to USFS prescribed fire operations.

Podcast moderator: Elias Kohn received a Master's Degree focused on forestry at the Yale School of the Environment, has published law review articles on wildfire liability, and completed wildland firefighting training certifications in 2022.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 & Bird, LLP.

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.