Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies

Hosted by ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources

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May 2026

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About the show

Top environmental, energy, and resources lawyers discuss career development, legal issues, historical trends, and new developments in environmental law. The views, information, or opinions expressed in Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies are solely and exclusively those of the speakers and not those of the American Bar Association or the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. Environmental Law Explored is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

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May 14, 202633 min

The Endangered Species Act at a Crossroads: Litigation, Regulation, and the Future of ESA Enforcement

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:525dae71-3ec2-49c9-be14-5d140c2516ad-8" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:525dae71-3ec2-49c9-be14-5d140c2516ad-8" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> This podcast featuring Murray Feldman (Holland & Hart LLP) and Sam Kalen (Indiana University McKinney School of Law) examines the evolving legal and regulatory landscape surrounding the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Drawing from decades of experience in government, private practice, and academia, as well as their book, ESA Essentials: The Endangered Species Act, the speakers provide listeners with a practical overview of the ESA's core framework, including species listings, critical habitat designations, and the Section 7 consultation process. Tune in for an insightful conversation on where the ESA has been, the challenges it faces today, and what may lie ahead for one of the nation's most consequential environmental laws. For more from these speakers, see ESA Essentials: The Endangered Species Act, published by the American Bar Association.

December 5, 202550 min

What We Talk About When We Talk About Forest Law

We are pleased to be joined by Professor John Leshy, author of Our Common Ground and the preeminent scholar on the history of America's public lands. Public land management is the cornerstone of forest law in the United States, and Professor Leshy's insights into its scope and evolution are invaluable in helping to piece together the fundamentals of forest law. Forest law presents a daunting barrier of entry to the uninitiated. Forest law is composed of and delimited by a broad swath of statutes, regulations, and norms, all shaped by a diverse array of stakeholders. The implications of forest management decisions are vast and varied, ranging from the hyperlocal—with decisions concerning timber harvest and wildfire mitigation bearing directly on the continued prosperity and existence of some rural communities—to the planetary, as climate change intensifies and the health of the world's forests grows ever further imperative to slow its most devastating effects. Complicating things further, today, forest law in the United States is undergoing rapid changes at the federal level. In beginning to explore the foundations of forest law, there is perhaps no better place to start than with a study of public lands. Host's note: This episode's title is an homage to the brilliant—and troubled—Raymond Carver and his 1981 short story collection "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love."

October 28, 202539 min

Emerging Contaminants: Supply Chain

Emerging contaminants are by their nature neither fully regulated nor fully understood. In this final episode of the Emerging Contaminants series Juge Gregg (Crowell & Moring), Sal Giolando (Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.), and Adam Sowatzka (McGuire Woods) discuss how to assess emerging contaminants in your supply chains to identify potential substances that may be subject to further regulation or increase the risks associated with business operations. This episode explores how companies monitor and manage their supply chains through advanced technologies and strategic practices to prevent regulatory breaches and enhance transparency, ensuring they remain compliant and competitive in a global marketplace.

September 25, 202546 min

Emerging Contaminants: Non-Tailpipe Vehicle Emissions

While we all notice the emissions exiting our vehicle's tailpipes, the emissions from brake dust and tire wear are often overlooked. Scientists are now turning their attention to these lesser-known pollutants, which are emerging as significant environmental concerns. As studies begin to grasp the extent of such impacts from automotive use on our environment, we discuss how regulation of these materials and emissions may impact our existing regulatory scheme and the auto industry as a whole. In this fourth episode of the Emerging Contaminants series, Jack Lyman speaks with Professor Greg Evans (University of Toronto) and Sean Dixon (Puget Soundkeeper) as they explore the role of contaminants like 6PPD and what future regulations might mean for the automotive sector.

September 3, 202532 min

Emerging Contaminants: Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products can be found in every home in America, but now they are also showing up in our wastewater systems and even our lakes and rivers. In this third episode of the Emerging Contaminants series, hear from Professor Bill Arnold (University of Minnesota), Eva Weiler (K&L Gates), and Victor Xu (Marten Law) as they explore how these everyday products are making their way into the environment. The discussion also covers potential regulatory responses, including the possible U.S. ban of titanium dioxide—already prohibited in the EU—and the growing concern over pharmaceuticals and nanoparticles from personal care items polluting our waterways.

August 15, 202530 min

Emerging Contaminants: Ethylene Oxide

In the second installment of our Emerging Contaminants series, we turn our attention to ethylene oxide, a chemical critical to the sterilization of medical and protective equipment yet increasingly scrutinized for its potential carcinogenic effects due to widespread use and long industrial history. In this episode, we're joined by Rebecca Pritchett (Maynard Nexsen), Heather Lynch (Integral Consulting), and David Fusco (K&L Gates) to examine the latest developments in ethylene oxide science, regulation, and litigation. Our guests discuss recent findings and interpretations suggesting that human health risks from ethylene oxide exposure may be lower than previously thought—a perspective that continues to generate scientific, legal, and policy debate.

June 30, 202519 min

The ESG Era: Progress, Pushback, and the Path Ahead

In 2024, key legal and regulatory shifts transformed the ESG landscape across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and EU. In the U.S., the SEC adopted—and later stopped defending—climate disclosure rules, while the Department of Labor's ESG rule faced litigation and Congress advanced anti-ESG bills. At the same time, the EPA began deploying $27 billion under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and youth-led climate lawsuits saw major wins. California's climate reporting laws (SB 253, SB 261, AB 1305) faced challenges but remained in effect, and greenwashing litigation expanded to cover broad corporate ESG claims. Internationally, the U.K. introduced mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain rules, the EU implemented the CSRD and CSDDD, and Canada passed a new Modern Slavery Act. Together, these changes mark a global move toward greater corporate transparency and environmental accountability. Join Josh Galperin, professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, in conversation with Lauren Lynam and Morgan Martin as they unpack the year's most significant ESG legal developments across the U.S. and beyond.

June 16, 202542 min

Emerging Contaminants: Microplastics

In the debut episode of our Emerging Contaminants series, we examine the widespread presence of microplastics in our environment, including in human and animal bodies and throughout our food systems. Because microplastics originate from larger plastic products, regulatory efforts have targeted the broader plastic lifecycle: from manufacture, import, and export to use, labeling, recycling, and disposal - with particular attention to single-use plastics. Join panelists Jennifer F. Novak (Law Office of Jennifer F. Novak), Talia Gordner (McMillan LLP), and Usha Vedagiri (WSP) as they discuss recent developments in plastic regulation, including the United Nations plastics treaty and efforts in the European Union and Canada, and share insights into what may lie ahead for the United States.

May 22, 202536 min

Editor's Insights: Chemical Product Law and Supply Chain Stewardship: A Guide to New TSCA

Amy L. Edwards, environmental partner at Holland & Knight, sits down with Lynn L. Bergeson, managing partner at Bergeson & Campbell and editor of Chemical Product Law and Supply Chain Stewardship: A Guide to New TSCA. Together they examine how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) evolving implementation of the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has reshaped regulatory compliance expectations across the manufacturing and chemical sectors. The discussion highlights how TSCA's commercial implications—ranging from market access limitations and import controls to supply chain transparency and investor risk—extend well beyond regulatory counsel. With the upcoming PFAS reporting mandate under TSCA Section 8(a)(7), companies face a one-time obligation to disclose manufacturing or importing activity dating back to 2011, without the benefit of typical exemptions for byproducts or impurities. The speaker's discussion emphasizes how due diligence, particularly in M&A contexts, must now account for latent TSCA noncompliance risks that could disrupt operations or jeopardize transactions. As Bergeson notes, TSCA affects even those not traditionally seen as compliance stakeholders—such as procurement officers and sourcing teams—underscoring the need for enterprise-wide awareness of regulatory responsibilities. This conversation is essential listening for legal practitioners, in-house counsel, compliance officers, supply chain managers, and investors seeking a practical and strategic understanding of TSCA's current enforcement landscape. Get your copy of Chemical Product Law and Supply Chain Stewardship: A Guide to New TSCA.

May 9, 202528 min

The Wildfire Crisis and Community Resilience

In the wake of the Los Angeles fires and amid a growing wildfire crisis, Doug Green, manager of Headwaters Economics' Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program, joins Andrew Kihn, programming vice chair of the Forest Resources Committee, for a conversation about the L.A. fires, the broader wildfire emergency, and the political and regulatory landscape of wildfire management in the United States. They discuss persistent challenges facing communities in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and highlight best practices for improving wildfire preparedness in both the built environment and America's forested lands.