Download the full agenda here.
Conference Day 1
Tuesday, November 1
2:00 pm Registration and Check-In in Concourse B
Track One in O’Hare IV
3:00 pm EHS Training Topics
JOELIE ZAK, Scientific Control Laboratories (Moderator)
3:00 pm 1. Common NPDES Mistakes
Understanding what will be in your NPDES permit is critical prior to submitting the application. Learn about permitting and compliance mistakes associated with planning for and preparing your NPDES permit application, including tips to set your facility up for compliance on Day 1.
STEVE J. KAPELLER, Barr Engineering
3:25 pm 2. Standards for Hazardous Waste Management
Attendees will learn about the various Generator requirements they may be subject to if they generate and manage hazardous waste. From waste characterization requirements, storage, labeling, manifesting, to contingency plans and RCRA training. This course will provide you with the tools to ensure you are in compliance with your generator obligations.
SEAN K. GRADY, CHMM, GHD
3:50 pm 3. New Generation of Generator Rules is On the Horizon: HazWaste Generator Improvements Rule, E-Manifest, and other active RCRA rulemakings.
Learn about imminent changes to the generator regulations that may affect your operations and your generator obligations.
LIANE HETHERINGTON-WARD, Schreiber, Yonley & Associates / Trinity Consultants
4:15 pm 4. Spill Plans Made Simple: Avoiding Noncompliance and Common Finding
JENNIFER VAN THOMME, GHD Services, Inc.
4:40 pm 5. Antidegradation: A Practical Guide
Get an overview of antidegradation requirements under Federal and Region V state laws, outline the types of activities that trigger the need to conduct an antidegradation evaluation, and discuss the core components of antidegradation evaluations. You’ll hear practical guidance on preparing and drafting an antidegradation evaluation, including determining existing water quality and uses, quantifying impacts to high quality waters, developing economic/social-development justification for degradation, and successfully working with regulators.
JEREMY GREENHOUSE, Environmental Law Group, Ltd.
MELISA POLLAK, Barr Engineering
5:05 pm 6. PFASs Impact on the Environment
Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) present key challenges for those industries that will be required to deal with this suite of emerging contaminants. We will provide an overview of the industries likely affected, discuss potential sources, summarize regulatory status, describe fate and transport models, and discuss remedial options.
BRYAN HOYE, Burns & McDonnell
5:30 pm Welcome Reception in Metro Place (Open to all attendees)
Please join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres hosted by MECC Silver sponsors
6:30 pm End of Day 1
Track Two in O’Hare V
BETZY COLON, Tellevate (Moderator)
3:00 pm Inspection Essentials—Traps for the Unwary
Best practices and how to effectively prepare for state and Federal inspections. Safe communications.
DAVID GILLAY, Barnes & Thornburg
3:40 pm Latest Developments in Vapor Intrusion: Why these Changes Matter and What you Need to Know
Identifying and managing risks associated with vapor intrusion has been mainstreamed, but still holds traps and surprises for unwary property owners, developers and risk managers. Competing approaches and standards between the various states and the Federal authorities don’t make it easier. Learn what you need to know to be current in this hot topics session.
LAWRENCE FALBE, Miller Canfield
4:00 pm Break
4:15 pm Next Generation Compliance: A Training
An introductory course on the fundamentals of Next Generation Compliance. Basic concepts, new technologies, and what it means for the regulated community.
DAVID HINDIN, US EPA, OECA
CHRISNA BAPTISTA, US EPA, OECA
5:30 pm Welcome Reception (Open to all attendees) in Metro Place
Please join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres hosted by MECC Silver Sponsors
6:30 pm End of Day 1
Conference Day 2
Wednesday, November 2
7:00 am Registration and Check-In in Concourse B
Continental Breakfast in O’Hare III
7:50 am Welcome in O’Hare IV-V
ROGER WALKER, Chair, MECC
8:00 am Flint Fallout
How Flint is impacting business, government, consultants, and the public who are far removed from the event itself in terms of how we manage risk, real and perceived, and set priorities.
ROBERT KAPLAN, Acting Regional Administrator, US EPA Region 5
ANDREW BERGER, Indiana Manufacturers Assoc.
LEANNE TIPPETT MOSBY, Director, DEQ, MO DNR
DAN DEEB, Schiff Hardin (Moderator)
8:55 am Next Generation Compliance
DEL EHRICH, Faegre Baker Daniels (Moderator)
EPA Developments
A review of the ongoing efforts of USEPA to reinvent compliance utilizing new technologies, data collection/analysis, smarter permits, advanced emissions testing and reporting.
DAVID HINDIN, US EPA, OECA
9:20 am Engineering View on Emerging Technology
SHARI LIBIKCI, Ramboll Environ
9:30 am Q&A on Next Generation Compliance
9:55 am Networking Break in Concourse B
10:15 am Regional Water Roundtable
Issues include: nutrients, WOTUS, Water Quality Standards, infrastructure, TMDL update, climate change and other water resource and water quality issues
PATRICK KUEFLER, Branch Chief, Water Enforcement & Compliance Assurance, US EPA Region 7
BRIAN HALL, Asst. Chief, Division of Surface Water, OEPA
MATTHEW JOHNSON, Fehr Graham
JEFF LONGSWORTH, Barnes & Thornburg (Moderator)
11:00 am Environmental Justice: The Path Ahead
EPA’s five-year strategic plan for environmental justice focuses on enforcement and compliance assurance. States like Minnesota have developed their own policies on environmental equity and EJ. Hear the latest on this topic.
ALAN WALTS, US EPA Region 5
JOHN LINC STINE, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
WILLIAM HEFNER, Environmental Law Group, Ltd. (Moderator)
12:00 pm Lunch in O’Hare III
Hosted by MECC Gold sponsors, Schiff Hardin and Faegre Baker Daniels
Outcome-Based Metrics for Environmental Protection and Human Health
JOHN LINC STINE, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS 1:15 – 2:45 pm (Two Tracks)
Track One in O’Hare IV
1:15 pm What EHS Professionals Should Know about Emerging Energy Issues: Electric Utility Carbon Future in Region 5
The federal Clean Power Plan is stayed. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will likely rule this fall. In the meantime, electricity providers in Region VII face a host of regulatory drivers that affect future plans, including state renewable portfolio standards, state energy efficiency programs, interstate NOx transport rules for the 2008 and 2015 ozone standards, and SO2 nonattainment designations. This session will address new uncertainties for the CPP, compare State plans, and address non-regulatory drivers.
BLOCK ANDREWS, Burns & McDonnell
KATHY ROBERTSON, Exelon
SUSAN WIENS, Environmental Law Group, Ltd. (Moderator)
2:10 pm The Nexus Between Sustainability and Environmental Management
LOREN POLAK, Bunge North America
2:45 pm Networking Break in Concourse B
Track Two in O’Hare V
1:15 pm The Lautenberg Act
TSCA reform has arrived! What have we learned so far? And what should we prepare for now?
ALLEN KACENJAR, Squire Patton Boggs LLC
1:45 pm Strategic Permitting in the Great Lakes Region
Issues and tips for permitting and undergoing environmental review in the Great Lakes Region.
GREG FONTAINE, Stinson Leonard Street LLP
ALEAVA SAYRE, Stinson Leonard Street LLP
2:15 pm Legal Update Focused on EHS Impact
Our panel of experienced environmental attorneys will provide an update on recent and emerging legal developments in environmental law, and how these developments can potentially impact how businesses are regulated, and result in changing compliance strategies. These recent legal developments will be of interest to a wide range of businesses and environmental professionals.
MICHAEL SHOWALTER, Schiff Hardin
JOSHUA MORE, Schiff Hardin
2:45 pm Networking Break in Concourse B
CONCURRENT STATE AGENCY BREAKOUT SESSIONS 3:00 – 5:30 pm (Three Tracks)
Track One in O’Hare IV
3:00 pm Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
A conversation on emerging issues in Illinois.
JOHN KIM, Illinois EPA
MARK DENZLER, IL Manuf. Assoc. (Moderator)
4:15 pm Latest Developments at IDEM
A conversation on emerging issues in Indiana.
DON SNEMIS, Deputy Chief of Staff, IDEM
DAVID GILLAY, Barnes & Thornburg
ANDREW BERGER, IN Manuf. Asso. (Moderator)
Track Two in O’Hare V
3:00 pm Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
A conversation on emerging issues in Ohio.
BOB HODANBOSI, Chief, Air Pollution Control, OEPA
LAURA FACTOR, Asst. Director, OEPA
ROB BRUNDRETT, OH Manuf. Assoc. (Moderator)
4:15 pm Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
A conversation on emerging issues in Michigan.
LYNN FIEDLER, Chief, Air Quality Division, MDEQ
STEVE SLIVER, Acting Chief, Office of Waste Management & Radiological Protection, MDEQ
ROBERT WAGNER, Program Deputy Director, Michigan DEQ
ANDY SUCH, MI Manuf. Assoc. (Moderator)
Track Three in O’Hare III
3:00 pm Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
A conversation on emerging issues in Minnesota.
Air Permitting Update
DON SMITH, Manager, Air Quality Permits Section, MPCA
Alternative Inspection Strategies
SARAH KILGRIFF, Manager, Land and Air Compliance Section, MPCA
Industrial Stormwater
AARON LUCKSTEIN, Supervisor, Water Quality Compliance, MPCA
KEN PODPESKAR, Environmental Law Group, Ltd. (Moderator)
4:15 pm Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
A conversation on emerging issues in Wisconsin.
BART SPONSELLER, Wisconsin DNR
JIM ZELLMER, Wisconsin DNR
LUCAS VEBBER, WI Manuf. & Commerce (Moderator)
5:30 pm Networking Reception in Metro Place (Open to all attendees)
Please join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
6:30 pm End of Day 2
Conference Day 3
Thursday, November 3
7:00 am Breakfast in O’Hare III
7:45 am Welcome in O’Hare IV-V
DEL EHRICH, Faegre Baker Daniels
7:50 am Regional Air Issues Roundtable
This session will address regional and national priorities for Ozone, SO2, PM2.5, Clean Power Plan, modeling, transport issues, and more.
ED NAM, Acting Director, Air & Radiation, US EPA Region 5
LYNN FIEDLER, Chief, Air Quality Div, Michigan DEQ
DAVID BLOOMBERG, Illinois EPA
DAVID WALL, Trinity Consultants
GREG BERTELSEN, National Association of Manufacturers (Moderator)
8:40 am What Regulatory Reform Means in the Electronic Age
This session will address regulatory reform, E-enterprise and E-permitting/e-reporting and what this means for public notice and comment, FOIA and Sunshine requests, and stakeholder engagement.
ANWAR (AJ) JOHNSON, Illinois EPA
ROBERT WAGNER, Program Deputy Director, Michigan DEQ
BRIAN HALL, Ohio EPA
ANDY SUCH, Michigan Manufacturers Association (Moderator)
9:10 am Regional and State Enforcement Priorities
This session will address the interaction between state and federal enforcement, highlight key areas of regional concern, and address both EPA and state priorities in air, waste and water.
RETT NELSON, Regional Counsel, US EPA Region 5
JEFF SMITH, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
JOHN KIM, General Counsel, Illinois EPA
SANDY STEIN, Miller Canfield (Moderator)
10:00 am Networking Break in Concourse B
BREAKOUT SESSIONS (Three Tracks)
10:15 am – 12:00 pm
Track One – Emerging Waste Issues in O’Hare III
10:15 am Managing Pharmaceutical Waste
Learn about recent developments related to pharmaceutical waste management, including enforcement activity under RCRA and state implementing programs, in addition to emerging federal and state regulatory initiatives that affect hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and all other facilities that manage pharmaceutical products and wastes.
LYNN KORNFELD, Faegre Baker Daniels
MAX KELLN, Faegre Baker Daniels
11:05 am RCRA Regulatory Developments
US EPA published recent revisions to the definition of solid waste, including substantial changes to the exemptions for hazardous secondary materials recycled by being reclaimed. We will focus on those revisions, as well as US EPA’s proposed revisions to the hazardous waste generator rules and the rules for the import and export of hazardous waste.
KAREN A. WINTERS, Squire Patton Boggs
Track Two in O’Hare IV
10:15 am Assessing Risk: Top Ten Tips for Conducting an Environmental Audit
There are many tools for assessing risk, but one of the most effective is conducting routine, regularly scheduled environmental audits.
LISA FUNDERBURG, Stinson Leonard Street LLP
EVAN FITZGERALD, Kestrel Management
11:00 am Fuel System Planning, Replacements, and Release
Fuel Systems underwent US EPA regulatory changes in 2015 since originally initiated in 1988. Hear a synopsis of the changes, and what it means for either your single or multi-site fueling systems. We will cover areas from Planning to Operational Needs; Replace vs. Repair/Upgrade Systems; to Managing Any Releases.
FRANK CAPIC, Burns & McDonnell
11:30 am Industry Perspective—Let’s Get Practical About Metals in Stormwater
Learn what various industrial sites are doing to incrementally reduce metals in their stormwater to comply with the industrial stormwater permit. Pamela will share some project examples from various industrial sites located in MN, WI and NE.
PAMELA MASSARO, P.E., Wenck Associates Inc.
Track Three in O’Hare V
10:15 am Simplifying the EHS Document and Data Management Burden
JOSEPH TELL, Tellevate
11:00 am Diving Deeper Into PSD Applicability—The RMRR Exemption and the Demand for Growth Exclusion
A refresher on recent determinations involving use of the routine maintenance, repair and replacement (RMRR) exclusion and the use of the demand growth provision when calculating projected actual emissions.
JOHN IWANSKI, Trinity Consultants
11:30 am The Use of Dispersion Modeling to Enhance Operational Flexibility
We will focus on atmospheric dispersion modeling methods sources may employ to optimize operational flexibility at their facilities, in light of upcoming changes to Federal modeling guidelines, increasingly stringent national ambient air quality standards, anticipated ozone attainment designations, and state air program requirements. We will discuss approved modeling methods that may be considered when addressing unanticipated impacts from an existing source.
BRIAN LEAHY, Barr Engineering
JEFFRY BENNETT, Barr Engineering
12:00 pm End of Conference