Groundwater Discharges and Clean Water Act Compliance: Marcia Greenblatt to Present Webinar for AWRA

Recent court rulings involving interpretation of the Clean Water Act could change the way groundwater discharge is regulated. Join Marcia Greenblatt, Ph.D., P.E., Principal at Integral Consulting Inc. (Integral), along with Kathy Robb, Partner, Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C., for a webinar on “Groundwater Discharges and Clean Water Act Compliance” sponsored by the American Water Resources Association (AWRA).

Time/Date: Wednesday, September 19, 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET.

In 2018, two federal appeals courts ruled that groundwater discharges that are hydraulically connected to Waters of the United States (“WOTUS”) are subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act. In one case, injected treated wastewater was carried by groundwater and eventually discharged to the ocean in Hawaii; in the other, a gas spill from an underground pipe break resulted in discharge through soil and groundwater into adjacent wetlands and creeks after the pipe break was contained. These cases follow years of inconsistent decisions on whether groundwater as a conduit is regulated under the Clean Water Act. The legal findings are ambiguous in terms of future regulation, and the technical and regulatory challenges could be substantial. In addition, EPA has asked for comment on whether a clarification or rule on the issue is needed.

This webinar will review the current status of regulation of groundwater discharges that are hydraulically connected to surface water and potentially subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act and discuss the challenges in implementation. PDH credit is available to all attendees. A webinar recording is included with registration, or available for purchase afterward.

Dr. Greenblatt is a principal water resources engineer known for her experience in conducting hydrodynamic, water quality, and sediment investigations. She has extensive involvement in Superfund remedial investigations and feasibility studies at large sediment sites and experience in designing data collection programs and performing modeling studies. Dr. Greenblatt has testified in court as a technical expert on environmental issues and has mediated public conflicts.

Kathy Robb’s practice focuses on environmental litigation before federal district and appellate courts across the country and in the U.S. Supreme Court. She also counsels on environmental issues in complex transactions from the bid process through closing, advising clients on corporate structuring to best manage environmental risk.  Ms. Robb represents water districts, developers, investors, lenders, energy companies, industrial and paper companies, and chemical manufacturers on water-related disputes, endangered species issues, environmental impact reviews, river sites with contaminated sediments, solid and hazardous waste issues, and sites with contaminated groundwater.

For more information, contact Marcia Greenblatt at mgreenblatt@integral-corp.com.