I attended this recent biannual conference examining key and emerging environmental issues in the EPA Region 2 area. It was organized by Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL). There was a lot of interesting discussion of climate change and air pollution, including some of the critically important ins and outs of litigation and the proposed federal legislation. (The CCCL website is a very rich mine of information and insight on these issues, including some thorough analysis of the legislation.)
Energy was also on the agenda, with a particularly encouraging presentation on the Marcellus Shale from Stuart Gruskin, Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. DEC, my old employer, is doing an exhaustive examination of the concerns regarding the “hydraulic fracturing” method of extracting natural gas trapped in shale rock, and it is requiring the strictest controls of any state in permitting these operations. 
When DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis spoke, he highlighted the importance of a vigorous cap-and-trade regime for the country – and how it would profit from the positive example of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) of which New York is a key member.
The keynote speaker for the day was Judith Enck, the Regional Administrator for EPA. Judi is an old-line, hard-core, smart and committed environmentalist. She talked about the “Seven Priorities for EPA’s Future” – with Taking Action on Climate Change top of the list. They’ve certainly been doing that, as I’ve noted here many times.
It was really nice for me to say hi to Judi, having been in touch a bit, but not having seen each other for over twenty years, introduce myself to Commissioner Grannis and chat for a minute, and catch up with some old colleagues, and even a student from one of my classes this spring, as well, of course, to get some excellent perspective on some key issues of the day.
