Mark Hanna (California) and Howard Cumberland (Oregon) will present at the American Bar Association's (ABA) 46th Spring Conference at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California on March 29-31, 2017.

Mark will lead a technical round table from 3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on March 30, 2017 entitled "Issues & Opportunities in Urban River Restoration and Revitalization." The round table will discuss the Los Angeles River, a 51-mile urban waterway running through one of the most densely populated areas of California. Growing interest in reimagining the River has spawned a myriad of intensely scrutinized planning efforts. Whichever path the River follows, significant challenges exist. These challenges focus around water resource management such as flood risk, water rights, groundwater adjudication, and water quality liabilities. The complete picture will also center on equity, land use, environmental justice, governance, gentrification and displacement, and of course, funding. These challenges, however difficult, present opportunities for multi-agency collaborative projects, public-private partnerships, and meaningful public participation. Come see concrete examples of success leading to a River with clean water, ample open space, and a healthy population.

Howard will present in a panel discussion from 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on March 31, 2017 entitled "Superfund Mega-Sites – Surviving the New Paradigm" The panel will discuss how CERCLA mega-sites can overwhelm U.S. EPA, local governments, non-governmental organizations and private parties alike. These CERCLA mega-sites involve contaminated sediments in rivers or harbors or massive plumes of contaminated groundwater underneath many miles of surface lands. Costing hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars to remediate and taking decades to resolve, they are very different from the typical landfill CERCLA site. Yet, the risks created by these sites are often more nuanced and difficult to evaluate than landfill sites, and the efficacy of, and cost benefit of, remedies for these mega-sites are also less clear. This interactive session will explore the paradigm shift created by this new breed of mega-sites; how the sites fit into the old CERCLA legal framework and interact with other environmental laws; and the technical and practical issues which lawyers must consider in counseling clients facing such sites.

The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources'(SEER) 46th Spring Conference program is built to explore topics and issues facing the environmental lawyer today. It's an unmatched opportunity to hear from the nation's leading top lawyers, government officials, in-house counsel, and academics who will weigh in on timely and significant topics effecting natural resources law. Los Angeles provides the backdrop for our two day CLE program at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on March 29-31, 2017.

Attending this year's SEER Water Law & Spring Conferences on behalf of Geosyntec will be Ravi Arulanantham, Mark Davidson, Rich Kraft, Mark Hanna (California), Helen Dawson (Washington DC), Howard Cumberland (Oregon), and Nandra Weeks (Florida).

Abstracts

Issues & Opportunities in Urban River Restoration and Revitalization

Mark Hanna, Geosyntec Consultants, Los Angeles, California, USA

The Los Angeles River is a 51-mile urban waterway running through one of the most densely populated areas of California. Growing interest in reimagining the River has spawned a myriad of intensely scrutinized planning efforts.  Whichever path the River follows, significant challenges exist. These challenges focus around water resource management such as flood risk, water rights, groundwater adjudication, and water quality liabilities. The complete picture will also center on equity, land use, environmental justice, governance, gentrification and displacement, and of course, funding. These challenges, however difficult, represent opportunities for multi-agency collaboratives, public-private partnerships, and meaningful public participation. Come see concrete examples of success leading to a River with clean water, ample open space, and a healthy population.

Strategic Approach for Successful Project Execution of Contaminated Sediment Projects

Howard L. Cumberland, Geosyntec Consultants, Portland, Oregon, USA
Anne Fitzpatrick, Geosyntec Consultants, Seattle, Washington, USA
Amanda Hughes, Geosyntec Consultants, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Contaminated sediment remediation projects, and particularly "megasite" projects, conducted under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) are complex, largely because they have many uncertainties.  Prompt realization and acceptance of these uncertainties during the strategic development of project scope and objectives can limit their impact.  A strategy that accounts for uncertainty needs to be continually reviewed, updated and communicated not only within the project team but to all stakeholders with a vested interest in the cleanup.  A panel of speakers at the closing session of the 2017 international contaminated sediment remediation conference recommended that decision-makers, Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), and stakeholders collaborate, prioritize and plan for the realities associated with contaminated sediment projects; unequivocally stating that "There will be uncertainties, controversy, costs and dysfunction; so plan for it" (Battelle, 2017).  This paper discusses how the development of comprehensive strategic approach with iterative updates can lessen the technical, cost and regulatory barriers to successful project execution by reducing uncertainties.  The strategic approach includes four elements: apply proven technologies, communicate proactively, perform targeted site characterizations, and utilize cost-effectiveness tools.

More Information

For more information regarding the network, visit: ABA 46th Spring Conference
For more information regarding Legal Counsel, visit: https://www.geosyntec.com/markets/legal-counsel
For more information on superfund sites or river restoration, contact Howard Cumberland at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Mark Hanna at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To learn more about Howard see his profile at: http://www.geosyntec.com/people/howard-cumberland
To learn more about Mark see his profile at: http://www.geosyntec.com/people/mark-hanna