1. Environmental Litigation Committee

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006
12:30 p.m.
Boston Bar Association

Friends and Fishers of Edgartown Great Pond v. DEP

Please come to a roundtable discussion of the issues involved in the Friends & Fishers of Edgartown Great Pond v. DEP case, in which the SJC upheld the DEP’s issuance of a groundwater discharge permit to the Edgartown Wastewater Commission for the operation of a municipal wastewater treatment plant.  We look forward to hearing about the different perspectives and positions advanced by the parties in the case, and the SJC’s response.

Joining us will be the four attorneys who participated in the Friends & Fishers lawsuit, including:

• Douglas H. Wilkins of Anderson & Kreiger, who represented plaintiffs Friends & Fishers
• Michael S. Nuesse, who represented plaintiff  Ten Citizens Group
• Siu Tip Lam, Assistant Attorney General, who represented the Dept. of Environmental Protection
• Lisa C. Goodheart, of Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak, & Cohen, P.C., who represented the Edgartown Wastewater Commission.

2. Environmental Section Holiday Party

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We invite you to share in some holiday cheer. Drinks, hors d'oeuvres, fine music and good conversation will be awaiting you.

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Monday, December 18, 2006
3:00 p.m.
Boston Bar Association

The Regulatory Review Process in the People's Republic of China

Richard DiNitto, a founding principal and Managing Partner of Sleeman Hanley & DiNitto, Inc. (SHD) will discuss the regulatory review process in the People’s Republic of China, where local and national regulations have often become burdensome for foreign owned businesses.  Specifically, he will:

• present a summary of the steps used to develop the protocols and checklists
• discuss translation and cultural issues
• discuss some of the key aspects of EH&S compliance in PRC

Mr. DiNitto has over 25 years of consulting and business operations experience, with emphasis on the design and implementation of EH&S programs for facility operations.  During the past 10 years, Mr. DiNitto has developed a series of regulatory support protocols and audit checklists for more than 30 countries that summarize the key environmental, health and safety laws, regulations, and operational requirements in those countries.

Sleeman Hanley & DiNitto, Inc. (SHD) develops regulatory summary reports that provide a user with a comprehensive listing of laws and regulations along with a checklist of questions that can be used to audit or evaluate a facility’s compliance with the local requirements.

4. Jim Milkey Discusses his Supreme Court Argument

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Thursday, December 21, 2006
12:30 p.m.
Boston Bar Association

Arguing Massachusetts’ Clean Air Act Case in the U.S. Supreme Court


Jim Milkey, Chief of the Environmental Protection Division of the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, will discuss his recent argument to the United States Supreme Court in Massachusetts, et al. v. EPA, No. 05-1120. In the case, Massachusetts and 28 other petitioners are challenging EPA's refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act.