Superconference Materials

Superconference Materials
(1988 – Present)

2025 Superconference

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

MODERATORS: Anne Idsal Austin, Attorney & Founder, Austin Legal & Public Affairs, PLLC; Mary Simmons Mendoza, Partner, Haynes Boone LLP

ENERGY – David Fotouhi, Deputy Administrator, EPA; Matthew Z. Leopold, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP; Travis Wussow, Partner, Jackson Walker LLP

PERMITTING – Ann D. Navaro, Partner, Bracewell LLP; Jason A. Hill, Partner, Holland & Knight L.L.P (presentation); Justin Schwab, General Counsel, CEQ

Thursday, August 7, 2025

OPENING REMARKS – Jeff Civins, Trammell S. Crow, Joe Pere, Julie Nahrgang, Danny G. Worrell, Mike Dillinger

MODERATOR: Anne Idsal Austin, Attorney & Founder, Austin Legal and Public Affairs, PLLC

EPA HEADQUARTERS UPDATE – David Fotouhi, Deputy Administrator, EPA

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – Shea Pearson, Environmental Lobbyist, HillCo Partners (presentation) (paper)

CASE LAW UPDATE – Kami McFarland, Senior Associate, Clifford Chance (presentation) (paper)

NEPA – Justin Schwab, General Counsel, CEQ

VCP & TRRP UPDATE – Kenneth Tramm, PhD, PE, PG, CHMM, General Manager, Modern Geosciences (presentation) (paper); Steve Morton, Attorney, The Morton Law Firm, PLLC (presentation)

TCEQ/EPA – Brooke Paup, Chairwoman, TCEQ; Scott Mason IV, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6

MODERATOR: Carolyn Ahrens, Solo Practitioner and Of Counsel, Booth & Associates, P.C.

AIR QUALITY: Aaron L. Szabo, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, EPA; Hannah Roskey, Senior Associate, Baker Botts L.L.P (presentation) (paper); Brittany Pemberton, Partner, Bracewell LLP (presentation) (paper); Jim Blackburn, Professor in the Practice of Environmental Law, Rice University (presentation) (paper); Amy Browning, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Division, TCEQ (presentation)

GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS – Carlos Rubinstein, Principal, RSAH2O, LLC (presentation) (paper); Natasha Martin, Shareholder, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody; Casey Cooper, Associate, Terrill & Waldrop (presentation) (paper)

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – Marisa Perales, Partner, Perales, Allmon & Ice, P.C. (paper); Hon. Shelly M. Doggett, Administrative Law Judge, State Office of Administrative Hearings; Jon Niermann, Partner — Environmental & Natural Resources, Vinson & Elkins LLP (paper)

UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL – James McGuire, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP; David Grounds, VP Regulatory, Pilot Water Solutions (presentation) (paper); Barry Smitherman, Chairman, President, and Co-founder, Texas (presentation)

Friday, August 8, 2025

MODERATOR: Cindy Bishop, President, C Bishop Law PC

ENFORCEMENT – Joe W. Bailey II, Owner, Hinton | Bailey PC (presentation); Craig J. Pritzlaff, Director – Office of Compliance and Enforcement, TCEQ (presentation)

NUCLEAR POWER AND URANIUM MINING – Kym Harshaw, Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer –

Retired, STP Nuclear Operating Company (presentation); Colleen Grygier, Senior Attorney, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP; Marty O’Neill, Associate General Counsel, Nuclear Energy Institute

NEW COURT – Jane Webre, Partner, Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP (presentation) (paper)

UNIVERSAL AND SOLID WASTE – Diane Goss, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Division, TCEQ (presentation)

EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY/POST CONSUMER RECYCLED CONTENT PRORAMS – Victor K. Salazar, Associate, Haynes Boone LLP (presentation) (paper)

MODERATOR: Jason A. Hill, Partner, Holland & Knight L.L.P.

PFAS – James B. Slaughter, Partner, Beveridge & Diamond PC (presentation) (paper); Reza Zarghamee, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (presentation); Kirby H. Tyndall, PhD, DABT, Senior Associate Toxicologist, GSI Environmental (presentation) (paper); Susan T. Litherland, P.E., Principal, SQ Environmental LLC (presentation)

ETHICS – Gaines West, Partner, West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, P.C.; Marcella Burke, Chairman, Burke Law Group, PLLC (presentation)

2024 Superconference

Superconference Agenda

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

MODERATOR: Mary Simmons Mendoza, Partner, Haynes and Boone LLP

(paper 1, paper 2, paper 3, paper 4)

VIEW FROM THE BENCH – The Honorable Alan D. Albright, U.S. District Judge, Western District of Texas

LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES – Henson Adams, Associate, Haynes and Boone LLP (presentation); Ed Cavazos, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Kevin D. Collins, Partner, Bracewell; Elizabeth Rogers, Of Counsel, Winstead PC

Thursday, August 1, 2024

MODERATOR: Pam Giblin, Senior Policy Advisor, Climate Leadership Council

CASE LAW UPDATE – SCOTUS – Thomas O. McGarity, Professor of Law, The University of Texas at Austin (paper)

CASE LAW UPDATE – OTHER – Jillian Marullo, Special Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (paper) (presentation)

AIR QUALITY – Taylor Holcomb, Partner, Jackson Walker LLP (paper); Brooke Villegas, Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 6; Jacob Gallegos, Assistant Regional Counsel, EPA Region 6

METHANE – Ashley T. K. Phillips, Partner, Holland & Knight (presentation); Jim Blackburn, Professor in the Practice of Environmental Law, Co-director, SSPEED Center, Rice University (paper) (presentation)

MODERATOR: Carolyn Ahrens, Of Counsel, Booth & Associates. P.C.

WATER SUPPLY – John Hryhorchuk, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, Texas 2036 (paper) (presentation); Michael Irlbeck, Director, Business Development, EPCOR (paper) (presentation); Robert Mace, Ph.D., Executive Director & Professor of Practice, Department of Geography, Texas State University (presentation); Cole C. Ruiz, Principal, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. (paper)

TCEQ & EPA – Stacey B. Dwyer P.E., Deputy Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6; Catarina Gonzales, Commissioner, TCEQ

ESA – Brooke M. Marcus, Partner, Nossaman LLP (paper) (presentation)

ENFORCEMENT – David Arthur Terry, Counsel, Hunton Andrews Kurth (paper) (presentation); Barrett Hollingsworth, SEP Attorney – Litigation Division, TCEQ (presentation); Cheryl Seager, Director, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division, EPA Region 6 (presentation)

Friday, August 2, 2024

MODERATOR: Cindy Bishop, President, C Bishop Law PC

PFAS (paper 1, paper 2) (presentation) – Steven D. Cook, Of Counsel, Bracewell LLP; Dorothy E. Watson, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP; Rock J. Vitale, Technical Director of Chemistry/Principal, Environmental Standards

INSURANCE (presentation)- Andrew Van Osselaer, Associate, Haynes and Boone LLP; Lindene E. Patton, Partner, Earth & Water Law LLC; Jim Vetter, Managing Director, Marsh USA

NEPA/CEQ – Brandon M. Tuck, Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP (paper) (presentation)

CARBON CAPTURE/PORE SPACE (presentation) – Katie Windle, Associate, Baker Botts LLP (paper); Charles McGuire, Project Manager, Technical Permitting – Oil & Gas Division, Railroad Commission of Texas

MODERATOR: Stephanie Bergeron Perdue, Partner, Baker Botts L.L.P.

CLIMATE DISCLOSURE – Ty’Meka Reeves-Sobers, Partner, Clifford Chance (paper) (presentation)

INCIDENT PLANNING AND RESPONSE
FRP AND RMP UPDATES – Joseph A. Eisert, Partner, King & Spalding LLP (presentation)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE – Christian D. Menefee, Attorney, Harris County Attorney’s Office; Clarissa Howley Mills, Deputy Regional Counsel, EPA Region 6

ETHICS – Travis J. Sales, Partner, O’Melveny & Myers, LLP; Tracy Hester, Professor, University of Houston Law Center (presentation)

2023 Superconference

Thursday and Friday agenda

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2, 2023

WELCOME – Mary Simmons Mendoza

OPENING REMARKS AND OVERVIEW OF CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW – John Cruden (presentation)

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (reference documents) – Nadira Clarke, Kevin D. Collins, Kristena Glenn (presentation), Jim Noble

THURSDAY AUGUST 3, 2023

OPENING REMARKS – Jeff Civins, Bruce Fogarty, Sally Mills Perry, Julie Nahrgang, Danny G. Worrell, Peter Wahl

CASE LAW UPDATE – Jason A. Hill (paper)

NEW WATER FOR TEXAS – Debra Tsuchiyama Baker, L’Oréal Stepney, P.E. (paper) (presentation), Sarah Kirkle (presentation)

AIR QUALITY/CLIMATE CHANGE – Jacob Gallegos, Aaron H. Vargas, Harrison Reback (paper), Paul Ruiz (presentation)

TCEQ TOXICOLOGIST – Sabine Lange, Ph.D., DABT (presentation)

LEGISLATION/SUNSET REVIEW – Tina O’Jibway (paper)

EPA & TCEQ – Stacey B. Dwyer, Erin E. Chancellor

CONTESTED CASE HEARING UPDATE – Marisa Perales, Jamie L. Mauldin, Hon. Linda Horng Brite

THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN PERMITTING AND ENFORCEMENT – Cheryl T. Seager (presentation), Anne Idsal Austin (paper)

FALLOUT FROM THE OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT – Steven Cook (paper) (presentation), Devin Sprinkle (presentation)

FRIDAY AUGUST 4, 2023

OPENING REMARKS – Jeff Civins

WELCOME – Mayor Kirk Watson

NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGES – Scottie Aplin (presentation), Jeffrey R. Wakefield Ph. D. (paper) (presentation), Bill Jackson (paper) (presentation)

ENERGY OVERVIEW – Dr. Scott W. Tinker (presentation)

PATHWAYS TO NET ZERO

NUCLEAR: Martin O’Neill (presentation)
GEOTHERMAL: Dr. Kenneth Wisian
CCS AND DIRECT CARBON CAPTURE: James “Jim” Dolphin
RENEWABLES – WIND AND SOLAR: Christine Fernandez Owen (presentation)
HYDROGEN: Michael C. Lewis (presentation)

DEVELOPING AND PRESENTING TECHNICAL EVIDENCE – Rudy Johnson, Ph.D., Adam Sencenbaugh (paper) (presentation), Craig R. Bennett

ETHICS (presentation) – Michael S. Truesdale, F. Witcher McCullough, Patricia Peterson

MODERATORS – Carolyn Ahrens, Cindy Bishop, John Cruden, Pam Giblin, Phillip Goodwin

2022 Superconference

Wednesday Night Agenda

Thursday & Friday Agenda

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

OPENING REMARKS – Mary Mendoza
BEFORE THE HEARING – RESPONDING TO THE HEARING REQUEST – Michael F. Vitris (presentation)
SOAH REFERRALS AND THE TYPES OF HEARINGS – Lisa Dyar, Derek Seal (presentation)
THE FEDERAL ROLE IN PERMITTING – Anne Austin (presentation)
DOS AND DON’TS FROM THE ALJ PERSPECTIVE – Hon. Linda Horng Brite,
Hon. Amy Davis