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Conference Agenda   

Click the icon to see the full agenda for the weekend with detailed descriptions of each presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

2024 Southeastern Public Interest Environmental Law Conference Schedule

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FRIDAY

 

5-8 pm

Friday Evening Welcome Social - As you arrive to town on Friday evening, please join us for a social gathering upstairs at local pub and restaurant Shenanigans from 5-8pm. After 8pm, enjoy the bar downstairs as late as you like. Shenanigans, 12595 Sollace M Freeman Hwy, Sewanee, TN 37375. Food and beverages are available for purchase downstairs.
 

SATURDAY

7:30 am (6: Spencer-Harris Commons, a.k.a. Spencer Hall atrium)

Registration – Check in if you have already registered, pay your conference fees if you did not do so in advance during online registration, or register and pay on-site at the registration table. Cash or check will be accepted for registration payment at the registration table.
 

Parking for SPIEL is that the Jessie DuPont Library parking lot on Georgia Avenue.

8:00-9:15 am

      I.         Environmental Law Teaching: A Law-Focused Citizen-Action Generator [CLE accreditation pending] 

                  (4: Gailor auditorium)
Zygmunt Plater, University of Maine Law School, Boston College Law emeritus, MA
Royal C. Gardner, Professor, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law, FL
Katherine Pratt, Foreman Law Fellow, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law, FL

     II.       Using Community Science to Advocate for Clean Air, Clean Water, and Environmental Justice                            (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)
Keri Powell, Senior Attorney & Air Program Leader, Southern Environmental Law Center, GA

Matt Hepler, Central Appalachian Environmental Scientist, Appalachian Voices, VA

Daisha Wall, Community Science Manager, CleanAIRE NC

Gwen Smith, Founder & Director, Community Health Aligning Revitalization Resilience & Sustainability, GA

9:25-10:40 am

      III     Clean Water Act Today: Navigating Sackett v. U.S. EPA at the State and Federal Levels                                             [CLE accreditation pending]  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)
Royal C. Gardner, Professor, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law, FL
Charles Miller, J.D., Policy Director , Alabama Rivers Alliance, AL

      IV.    Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for Beginners   (4: Gailor auditorium)
Davis Mounger, Co-Director, Tennessee Heartwood, TN

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 10:50-11:50 am  -- KEYNOTE ADDRESS/PLENARY SESSION

  Media, Law, the Snail Darter, and Democracy: How a Little Group of Tennesseans Carried a Little Fish          through the Corridors of American Power Against a Notorious TVA Dam [CLE accreditation pending]                  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

 Zygmunt Plater, University of Maine Law School, Boston College Law emeritus and Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel in TVA v. Hill, the country’s seminal case establishing the enforceability of ESA protections under law, brought on behalf of Tennessee’s snail darter.

 

11:50 am - 1:00 pm  

 

Lunch - Dining Options: We recommend sampling the convenient, diverse, quality dining options at the on-campus dining hall at the McClurg  on-campus dining hall at Sewanee, but off-campus dining options also exist on and around University Avenue.

 

Caucuses- Meet in the dining hall or in designated campus classrooms for self-organized discussion groups, mini-presentations, strategy sessions, or to launch new projects or coalitions.  You can organize a caucus in person by going to the registration table to announce your caucus.  Caucuses organized so far:

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Science-based, Peer-reviewed Best Management Practices for Watershed Stewardship: Bring Your Experiences (McClurg Dining Hall)  Sponsoring organization:  Outdoor Voices for Orange County (NC)

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 1:00 – 3:50 pm  FIELD TRIP

  Conservation Value of Mature Forests – A Field Discussion of Cumberland Plateau Ecology

   Jonathan P. Evans, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of the South at Sewanee, TN

   (sign up at registration, space is limited)
 

1:00-2:15 pm

     V.       Using the ESA to Stop Nutrient Pollution [CLE accreditation pending]   (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

   Jaclyn Lopez, Professor and Director, Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law, FL
Rachael Curran, Staff Attorney, Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law, FL

     VI.     The Empire Strikes Back: Navigating Reliability, Resiliency, and Legislative Roadblocks to a                              Renewable Energy Future  (4: Gailor auditorium)

Tom FitzGerald, Of Counsel, Kentucky Resources Council, KY
Byron Gary, Program Attorney, Kentucky Resources Council, KY
Audrey Ernstberger, Associate Attorney Fellow, Kentucky Resources Council, KY
 

2:25-3:40 pm

      VII.     Navigating a Post-Chevron World & a Review of Major Questions Doctrine Developments                                    [CLE accreditation pending]  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Tom “Fitz” Fitzgerald, Of Counsel, Kentucky Resources Council, KY
Zygmunt Plater, University of Maine Law School, Boston College Law emeritus, MA

      VIII.     BioMESS: The True Costs to the Climate, Forests, and Southern Communities of the Woody                              Biomass Industry’s Greenwashing  (4: Gailor auditorium)

Patrick Anderson, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, GA
Heather Hillaker, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, NC
 

3:50-5:05 pm

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       IX.      The Unnatural Explosion of Methane Gas Build-Out in the Southeast: Overlapping Legal                                     Jurisdictions on Environmental Issues in Energy Infrastructure [CLE accreditation pending]                                   (4: Gailor auditorium)

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Trey Bussey, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, TN   

Deirdre Dlugoleski, Associate Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, VA  

Rachel James, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, VA

      X.      Protecting North Carolina's Waterways through Field Investigations, Local Advocacy and                                   Science-Backed Policy Change  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Samantha Krop, Neuse Riverkeeper, NC
Kemp Burdette, Cape Fear Riverkeeper, NC
Ryan Carter, Catawba Riverkeeper, NC
Andy Hill, Watauga Riverkeeper, NC
Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper, NC
John Dempsey, Outdoor Voices for Orange County, NC
 

5:15-6:00 pm

      XI.     Record Making and Record Breaking– Taking on Agency Deliberative Process Claims                                            [CLE accreditation pending]  (4: Gailor auditorium)

Robert Wiygul, Attorney and Partner, Waltzer Wiygul & Garside, MS

      XII.   View from the Midst: Exploring the Rights of Nature for the Swannanoa River

                   (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Amy Knisley, Professor of Environmental Policy, Warren Wilson College, NC
Emily Kerscher, Swannanoa River Watershed Resident & Advocate, NC
Kevin D. Jones, Impact Investment Fund Developer, NC
Katharine Winship, Swannanoa River advocate, NC
 

6:00-8:00 pm

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Dinner – Consider attending the free mixer for dinner (see below). You can also sample the convenient, diverse, quality dining options at the on-campus dining hall at Sewanee (the dining hall is open 7am-8pm), but off-campus dining options also exist along University Avenue.

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Mixer courtesy of the Sewanee Integrated Program for the Environment – (6: Spencer- Harris Commons) From 6-7pm, this is a great networking opportunity for students, environmental professionals, and grassroots advocates to mix while enjoying free, catered dinner courtesy of the Sewanee Integrated Program for the Environment. And it’s right around the corner from the film screenings (see below).

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Environmental Film Screening – (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium) Please join us for a screening of environmental films, courtesy of Alabama Rivers Alliance.

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8:00-Late   

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Party-  (Angel Park, 35 University Ave, Sewanee, across from the Blue Chair Tavern)   Join us for fun on the dancefloor with Chattanooga’s own Rock and Soul outfit The Dose! Drinks available across the street at the Blue Chair Tavern

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SUNDAY

7:30 am        (6: Spencer-Harris Commons, a.k.a. Spencer Hall atrium)

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Registration – If you are just now arriving to the conference or didn’t take care of it on Saturday: check in if you have already registered, pay your conference fees if you did not do so in advance during online registration, or register and pay on-site at the registration table. Cash or check will be accepted for registration payment at the registration table. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be available at registration. You can also announce a caucus that you’re organizing (see below during the lunch hour), and visit the organization tabling area.

8:00-9:15 am

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      XIII.      Recent Federal Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Transportation Sector                          [CLE accreditation pending] (4: Gailor auditorium)

Brian Gist, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, GA

 

      XIV.      Factory Farm Fights Across the South: An Overview  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

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Charline Whyte, Staff Attorney, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, AL

Maia Hutt, Staff Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, NC

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9:25-10:40 am

      XV.      Protecting Imperiled Southern Species from the Scourge of Coal Mining: Where SMCRA                                     Meets the ESA [CLE accreditation pending] (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Perrin de Jong, Southeast Staff Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity, NC
Tierra Curry, Senior Scientist, Center for Biological Diversity, KY

      XVI.     Modeling the Effectiveness of Various Policies to Address Climate Change in Real Time Using                           the EN-ROADS Climate Simulator (4: Gailor auditorium)

Alan Leiserson, Tennessee State Coordinator for Citizens' Climate Lobby, TN
 

10:50 am - 12:05 pm

      XVII.     Legal Issues around Aluminum Smelters, including Aluminum-Related Petcoke Calcining                                  [CLE accreditation pending]  (4: Gailor auditorium)

Ashley Wilmes, Executive Director and Attorney, Kentucky Resources Council, KY
Meg Parish, Senior Attorney, Environmental Integrity Project, CO
Sunny Lee, Attorney, Environmental Integrity Project, DC

      XVIII.    Community Organizing vs. Methane Infrastructure & Turning TVA from Climate Laggard to                             Climate Leader  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Emily Sherwood, Campaign Organizer, Sierra Club, TN
Gaby Sarri-Tobar, Energy Justice Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity, DC
Delany King, Associate Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center, TN
Tracy O’Neill, Member, Preserve Cheatham County, TN
Erin Walker, Member, Safe Affordable and Good Energy for Tennessee, TN
Amy Kelly, Beyond Coal Campaign Manager, Sierra Club, TN


12:05-1:30 pm  

 

Lunch – We recommend sampling the convenient, diverse, quality dining options at the  McClurg on-campus dining hall at Sewanee, but off-campus dining options also exist on and around University Avenue.

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Caucuses – Meet in the dining hall or in designated campus classrooms for self-organized discussion groups, mini-presentations, strategy sessions, or to launch new projects or coalitions. You can organize a caucus in person by going to the registration table to announce your caucus, or to learn about the caucuses you can attend during the conference. Caucuses organized so far.

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1:30-2:45 pm

    
       XIX.    Why Everyone Needs to Know about Land Applications of Biosolids and Sludge                                                         [CLE accreditation pending] (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Daniel Firth, Ph.D., Chair, Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter Solid Waste Committee, TN
Sarah Levy, County Attorney, Haywood County, TN
Scott Banbury, Conservation Director, Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter, TN


2:55-4:10 pm

        XX.      Using Legal Land Designations to Protect Public Land [CLE accreditation pending]                                                         (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

Katie Bilodeau, Legislative Director and Attorney, Wilderness Watch, ID
David Nickell, President, Between the Rivers Inc., KY

Davis Mounger, co-Director, Tennessee Heartwood

       XXI.      Chandler Mountain SAVED: A Success Story, with the Community Members Who Saved                                     Their Land  (4: Gailor auditorium)

Fran Summerlin, Save Chandler Mountain, AL
Ben Lyon, Save Chandler Mountain, AL
Mark Smith, Save Chandler Mountain, AL
 

4:20-5:35 pm

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       XXII.     Human Health and Climate Change: Which Diseases Will Worsen, Who is Most Vulnerable,                              and What Policies Should We Adopt?  (6: Woods-Blackman auditorium)

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Curtis L. Baysinger, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, TN


5:45-6:15 pm

Organizing Meeting for SPIEL 2025 –  (6: Spencer-Harris Commons, a.k.a. Spencer Hall atrium) If you’re interested in helping to organize next year’s SPIEL conference, pop in to sign up and give your feedback on what went well and what could be improved from SPIEL 2024 as we look forward to next year’s event.