W&M Law Hosts Virginia Water Quality Conference
U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman to Provide Keynote Address
On March 27th-28th, William & Mary Law School will host Congressman Rob Wittman and other policymakers, experts, and advocates for a discussion of current and future challenges to Virginia's water quality. Wittman, a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, will give the keynote address at 1 p.m. on Friday. The congressman recently co-sponsored with Senator Mark Warner the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2014 (PL 113-273, signed Dec. 14, 2014 by President Obama), a bipartisan bill designed to "bring increased accountability and more collaborative management to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts."
The conference is presented by the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review and the William & Mary Law School Virginia Coastal Policy Center.
Virginia Coastal Policy Center Director Roy Hoagland underscored the need for the conference: "It is an honor to have Congressman Wittman here in his home district joining with William & Mary in an examination of the pollution challenges that continue to face Virginia's waters. With participation at the conference from leaders like the congressman and Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran, it is our hope that it will stimulate conversation about critical policy choices facing the Commonwealth as it looks to protect our water quality, public health, economic development, and quality of life."
In addition to Wittman and Moran, speakers include:
* Jeffrey Corbin, Senior Advisor to the EPA Administrator,
* environmental law and public policy experts,
* scientists and environmental engineers,
* leaders from industry and environmental advocacy groups.
Kristen A. Clark, J.D. '15, symposium editor of the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, discussed the value of the conference: "The conference provides an exciting opportunity for students to learn about current environmental issues from speakers representing multiple viewpoints and to engage with participants. In addition to networking between panels, students will be moderating the panels and the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each topic discussion. This format provides for an active dialogue that will benefit both students and the environmental community."
While the conference is free and open to the public, pre-registration is required due to limited seating. Visit the conference website to register and to view the agenda. For more information about the conference, contact Kristen Clark at [[e|kaclark]].
The Virginia Coastal Policy Center is an ongoing collaboration between the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Virginia Sea Grant and William & Mary Law School.
The conference is made possible in part by funding from Virginia Sea Grant.