PEN-e from Pace Law School Library: Environmental Law Institute

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

ELI Seminar: Meet & Greet: Matthew Tejada, Incoming Director of EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice

Meet & Greet: Matthew Tejada,
Incoming Director of EPA’s Office of
Environmental Justice

An ELI Research Seminar

As Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston, Matthew Tejada, Ph.D., advocated on behalf of communities to reduce air pollution in Houston. He worked with local organizations, government agencies, and businesses to find ways to reduce pollution in overburdened communities. In January 2013, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that Mr. Tejada would be the new Director of the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). With this meet-and-greet session, ELI presents an opportunity to hear about Director Tejada’s priorities for OEJ and to ask questions of the incoming director. Please join us for an informative conversation. The session will be available in person at the Environmental Law Institute or via teleconference. All participants must RSVP. Speaker: Matthew Tejada, Director, EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice When: April 30, 2013 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM ET Where: Environmental Law Institute 2000 L Street NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 Also available via teleconference RSVP: To attend, please visit http://www.eli.org/Seminars/event.cfm?eventid=778. Teleconference information will be emailed one business day prior to the event.

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) just published a new Research Report titled, Subsidies with Responsibilities: Placing Stewardship and Disclosure Conditions on Government Payments to Large-Scale Commodity Crop Operations. This report is currently downloadable for free from the Institute.

This Environmental Law Institute report recommends that large-scale commodity crop operations that opt to receive any form of federal farm subsidy, including subsidized crop insurance, be assigned responsibility for: putting in place basic measures to reduce water pollution from fertilizer runoff; and disclosing information to the public about the quantity, type, and timing of fertilizers they apply. Runoff from the production of major commodity crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat can contribute significantly to downstream water pollution. Many farming operations already implement stewardship measures, yet nutrient pollution remains a significant national problem.

For the uninitiated, ELI Research Reports contain "the analysis and conclusions of the policy studies the [ELI] undertakes to improve environmental law." Most of the older reports on this site are available for free (pdf format) from the organization with the proviso that the User provide their email address; other reports are available for purchase for a nominal fee. A database of reports is available at http://www.elistore.org/reports.asp. Users can search by title, author, or keyword or in the alternative, they can chose from a subject specifc list including:

Africa Program

Air

Biodiversity and Invasive Species

Climate Change

Community Environmental Health and Education

Conservation

Contaminated Sites/Brownfields

Educational Programs and Materials

Energy and Innovation

Enforcement and Compliance

Environmental Consequences of War

Environmental Information