An ELI 50th Anniversary Seminar: Environmental Compliance: A Foundational Objective
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) addresses the remediation and cleanup of unauthorized contamination at sites that pose threats to human and environmental health. CERCLA also plays a central role in the cleanup and transfer of sites used by the Department of Defense (DoD), including Base Realignment and Closure Sites (BRAC Sites) and privately-owned Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). These facilities are typically large holdings requiring extensive clean up and remediation. EPA has assisted in the clean-up of 107 BRAC Sites over five congressionally mandated rounds of base closures and realignment, and since 2008, the Army Corps of Engineers has identified over 10,000 sites eligible for the FUDS program. While the contaminated sites can be earmarked for economic re-development or wildlife conservation post-transfer from DoD use, the transfer can take on average 15 years, and require significant costs.
Over the past three-plus decades since CERCLA was passed into law, there have been significant technological advances to streamline the assessments of damages and offer a myriad of remediation applications.
Leading experts discussed the foundational objectives of CERCLA, how these have evolved over time, the issues surrounding the remediation and cleanup of Department of Defense sites, approaches to working with regulatory agencies, cutting-edge and emerging technologies for damage assessments and remediation activities, and more.
Panelists:
Christopher L. Bell, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Moderator
Ridgway M. Hall, Jr., Vice President, Chesapeake Legal Alliance, Co-Author, “Who Pays for Superfund Cleanups at DOD-Owned Sites?”
Susan C. Paulsen, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Scientist & Practice Director, Exponent
Bernadette M. Rappold, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Curtis B. Toll, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
Materials:
ELI members will have access to a recording of this session (usually posted w/in 48 hours). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.