Environmental Law and Policy Monitor

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Troutman Sanders is pleased to be a co-sponsor for “Healthcare Meets the Environment: A Symposium on Managing Pharmaceutical Wastes“ on Friday, January 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Georgia State University.

Population growth, an aging population, preventative medicine and improved treatment options have contributed to an increase in the use of prescription and over-the-counter medication. While the benefits of these drugs cannot be overstated, their use does impact the environment. In preparation for the spring 2014 release of the EPA’s proposed healthcare facility-specific pharmaceutical waste management standards, this one-day symposium will explore:

Troutman Sanders’ Richmond office partner and environmental and natural resources attorney, Brooks Smith, has filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Virginia Coal and Energy Alliance Inc., Virginia Mining Association Inc. and Virginia Mining Issues Group. The brief supports A&G Coal Corporation’s request to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to review whether it can use the permit shield defense to avoid liability for discharging naturally occuring pollutants that its Clean Water Act permit does not explicity prohibit from release into surrounding waters.

Peter Glaser, one of our attorneys in Washington D.C. and an expert on climate change regulation who has testified before Congress many times, was recently quoted in a Reuters article attempting to predict EPA’s approach to regulating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants.  The article can be viewed here:  U.S. industry sees carbon-capture as legal chink in EPA rules.

The U.S. EPA announced the availability of a 331-page report entitled “Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters,” which compiles and evaluates peer-reviewed literature on the impacts and connectivity of smaller, isolated water bodies to larger downstream waters.  The Agency announced that a final version of the report “will serve as a basis for a joint EPA and Army Corps of Engineers rulemaking aimed at clarifying the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.”  With this announcement, EPA has charted a new path for its attempts to more clearly delineate the scope of Clean Water Act jurisdiction.

Troutman Sanders LLP announces the additions of Andrea W. Wortzel to the firm’s Richmond, Virginia office.  Andrea Wortzel, who joins as an of counsel attorney, has a diverse and dynamic environmental practice, handling a variety of complex water quality and  water quantity matters. She was previously at Hunton & Williams and is joining Partner Brooks Smith who joined Troutman Sanders’ Environmental and Natural Resources Practice in August (Read the Law 360 story here).

Randy Brogdon, a Partner in the Environmental and Natural Resources Practice, spoke at the 8th Annual Georgia Environmental Conference (GEC) held in Jeckyll Island, Georgia earlier this month. The GEC is a three-day event with over 50 unique courses designed to help environmental professionals exchange knowledge and share ideas around environmental concerns in Georgia.

Smith_Brooks_WebTroutman Sanders is pleased to announce that Brooks Smith, a top-ranked environmental and administrative lawyer, has joined the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources practice in the Richmond office. He previously served as co-chair of the environmental practice at Hunton & Williams. Smith will help the firm execute various strategic initiatives focused on environmental markets, sustainability, coal, energy, water, and compliance assurance. Law 360 reported this news on Wednesday, August 28. Read more here.