Essential Environmental With Thierry Montoya

This episode of Essential Environmental takes a different approach to environmental and regulatory practice by exploring a question every technical professional faces: How do you explain what you do in a way that builds trust, reduces uncertainty, and helps clients make informed decisions?
 

Host Thierry Montoya is joined by marketing strategist Seth Avergon to discuss why effective marketing in regulated industries is not about hype, big claims, or flashy branding. Instead, it is about clarity, credibility, education, and helping clients navigate complex decisions with confidence.
 

Together, they explore:

• Why technical professionals should think of themselves as guides, not heroes
 • How trust is built through listening, clear communication, and demonstrated judgment
 • The role of educational content in closing knowledge gaps and reducing client uncertainty
 • Practical ways to explain complex environmental and regulatory issues without oversimplifying them
 • Why case studies, stories, and real-world examples often matter more than credentials alone
 • The importance of choosing content topics based on client questions rather than personal interests
 • How environmental professionals can use AI as a tool without sacrificing accuracy, credibility, or professional judgment 

Whether you're an environmental consultant, attorney, engineer, developer, or other regulated professional, this conversation offers practical insights for building stronger client relationships, creating more meaningful conversations, and becoming the trusted advisor clients call first. 

Thierry Montoya speaks with former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend about his experiences in local government, as well as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and how it can be used to impede necessary development. They also analyze the potential impact of recent state-level reforms. Zach talks about the challenge of leading a community through major environmental disasters, including infrastructure damage, long-term recovery, and the ongoing insurance crisis. Thierry and Zach then discuss the need for proactive AI governance in the public sector. 

Learn more about Zach Friend at https://www.santacruzworks.org/

Watch Zach's TedX Talk, "Big Data's Coming To Your Town": https://youtu.be/VVQdehQzIOU?si=rSEXzSLsRqcPHa2N 

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

Thierry and Orell discuss how environmentally impacted properties are appraised.

Time stamps:

00:07:00 — Define an environmentally impacted property

00:11:37 — Examples of contaminated properties

00:17:23 — How does a site's environmental impact affect its appeal over time?

00:20:56 — Challenges of appraising contaminated properties

00:27:25 — Appraisal methods

00:35:14 — Challenges of appraising contaminated properties

00:39:53 — How do you deal with situations where remediation is underway or future environmental outcomes are uncertain?

00:49:19 — What is your most interesting case study in environmentally impacted property

00:57:54 — How do state/local regulations layer onto federal regulations?

01:09:29 — Industry standards

01:16:36 — How is technology transforming how we assess environmental risk?

01:22:09 — How might the new Trump Administration affect things?

01:28:38 — How does the role of the appraiser evolve in response to climate change?

01:32:41 — Final thoughts

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

Thierry speaks with mediator Gideon Kracov of ADR Services, Inc. about mediation's role in environmental policy, as well as strategies and approaches to mediation in general.

Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/982607532/aa10d33650?share=copy

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

Thierry speaks with Matt Winefield of Winefield & Associates and the Brownfield Braintrust Podcast about the uncertain future of brownfield redevelopment in California.

Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/924769056/15b4489c7f?share=copy 

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

The content of this episode reflects the views and opinions of Thierry Montoya and his guests, and does not constitute legal advice. 

Thierry speaks with attorney and author Barry Ross about his book Are You the King or Queen of Your Castle? Not If You Live in a Homeowner's Association (available for purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/47Ru3Ra) and the complex relationships between homeowners and homeowners associations.

Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/894184959

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

The content of this episode reflects the views and opinions of Thierry Montoya and his guests, and does not constitute legal advice. 

Tom Harder joins the show to help Thierry cover the ins-and-outs of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 

Learn more about Tom at https://thomashardercompany.com/

Want to watch this episode? Catch it on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/873704083?share=copy 

Want to get in touch with the show? Contact Thierry Montoya at [email protected]

Attorney Tina Wallis joins the show to help Thierry cover the ins-and-outs of the California Environmental Quality Act. 

Learn more about Tina at https://twallislaw.com/

Want to get in touch with the show? Contact Thierry Montoya at [email protected]

On September 7, 2022, the California State Water Control Boards issued requirements for testing microplastics in drinking water, becoming the first government in the world to establish health-based guidelines for acceptable levels of microplastics in drinking water.

Jon Rohrer is the principal Hydrogeologist at Roux, providing environmental management and consulting. He joins the show to explain the new regulations and their implications for the regulated. 

Learn more about Jon and Roux at https://www.rouxinc.com/leadership/jon-rohrer-p-g-c-hg/

And connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohrerj/ 

Want to get in touch with the show? Contact Thierry Montoya at [email protected] 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority under the Clean Water Act to regulate “waters of the United States.” But what exactly do we mean by “waters of the United States”? It’s a more complicated question than it might seem. In this episode of Essential Environmental, attorney Thierry Montoya dives into the question by covering the ongoing Supreme Court case of Sackett v. EPA, which concerns the EPA’s ability to regulate development on wetlands, as well as the EPA’s revised definition of waters of the United States, set to take effect on March 20, 2023. 

Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at [email protected] and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

The content of this episode reflects the views and opinions of Thierry Montoya and does not constitute legal advice. 

Time stamps:

02:01 - EPA's enforcement authority under Clean Water Act's definition of "waters of the United States" might be about to change

05:00 - Sackett v. EPA, explained

15:05 - SCOTUS addressed "waters of the United States" in three prior cases

22:20 - EPA's new rule defining "Waters of the United States" will take effect on March 20, 2023

25:07 - What does all of this mean for landowners and developers?