39th Environmental Permitting Summer School

In this day and age, accessibility to information drives the involvement of stakeholders (e.g., investors, employees, neighbors, environmental groups) at a detailed level in matters of environmental permitting and compliance. The role of the “inspector” expands beyond just the agency regulators but encompasses the public community. How should a company best prepare for an “inspection” – whether it is a DEP review under the State Review Framework or public scrutiny of the vast amount of disclosures and environmental reports? This panel will focus on answering this question by presenting practices for proper data collection and disclosure that can stand up to stakeholder inquiries while still balancing a company’s desire to implement a value-added strategy. Additional considerations addressed in this panel:
With industry reliance on consistency and transparency, when is voluntary disclosure advised and do more detailed disclosures lend the risk of gaining more exposure?
What is the appropriate balance of information to keep on file and why is “accurate” rather than “conservative” data more important than ever?
How can a company balance the risk of exposure to releases/misinterpretations while still adding value to their process for consistency and attaining Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) goals?
All these questions will be explored in the light of both federal and state updates, considerations for Environmental Justice (EJ), and how these changes impact industry. The panel will provide a perspective and guidance from many points of view including state regulators, permitted industry, and legal counsel.