Superconference Materials
(1988 – Present)
2024 Superconference
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
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, 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
Thursday, August 4, 2022
OPENING REMARKS – Jeff Civins, Trammell S. Crow, Sally Mills Perry, Julie Nahrgang, Danny G. Worrell, Erin Chancellor
GREETINGS FROM TCEQ – Toby Baker
GREETINGS FROM CEQ – Brenda Mallory, Pam Giblin
NEPA UPDATE – Jason A. Hill (presentation)
AIR QUALITY/CLIMATE CHANGE – Brittany M. Pemberton (presentation), Terry Salem (presentation), Charlotte Goudeau, Aaron Vargas
WATER – Loren Denton, James T. Aldredge, Corrine Snow
EPA REGION 6 REMARKS – Dr. Earthea Nance
ENFORCEMENT – Michael C. Martinez, Craig Pritzlaff, Sarah Utley, Kellie Billings-Ray, Philip H. Hilder
HISTORIC CONTAMINATION – Steve Morton (paper, presentation), Amanda Halter (paper)
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN EMERGENCIES – Kelly Cook (presentation), Marcella Burke, Brian Dunagan (presentation)
WELLNESS – Walt Shelton (paper, presentation)
Friday, August 5, 2022
OPENING REMARKS – Cindy Bishop
VIEW FROM EPA GC – Jeffrey M. Prieto
SUPREME COURT REVIEW – John Cruden, Robert (Bob) Percival (presentation)
CASE LAW UPDATE – Amanda L. Soler (presentation)
PFAS LEGISLATION – U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA)
USE OF EXPERTS IN CRISIS LITIGATION – Lauren Brogdon, Randy Sorrels, Shawn Paquette (presentation)
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL & NATURAL RESOURCES LAW SECTION OF THE SBOT – Chris Smith
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE – Lilian Dorka (presentation), Stephanie Bergeron Perdue (presentation), Kelly L. Haragan (presentation)
EPA/TX/OK POINTS COUNTERPOINTS – Erin Chancellor, Kenneth E. Wagner, James McGuire
ESG AND CLIMATE DISCLOSURE – Sarah E. Fortt, Jessica B. Magee
2021 Superconference
Tyler Ryska and Gabrielle Smith
Kate Goodrich and Elizabeth Fazio Hale
Anne Idsal Austin, Dr. Loren Hopkins, Edward Clark Lewis, Terry Salem
Melanie Benesh (paper) (presentation), Alexandra Dapolito Dunn (paper 1) (paper 2) (presentation), Michael E. Honeycutt
Hon. Rafael Anchia, Ann D. Navaro, Robert Powelson
James B. Blackburn (paper) (presentation), Charles (Chuck) H. Knauss, John Wagner
Conrad Bolston, Mike Dillinger, Lawrence M. Heim, Maria Dunn
Nathan Koppel, Tony Lucisano, Irma Russell (paper) (presentation)