Law School Hosts Environmental Symposium on Chesapeake Bay Nov. 16
October 4, 2007
Contact: School of Law
Phone: 410.837.6797
In 2007, it is generally understood by researchers, policymakers and much of the public that the Chesapeake Bay is under serious threat: Overdevelopment along the coast, effluent, overfishing and a variety of other problems have left this major estuary at or near a "tipping point," according to long-time observers like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. But Maryland, Virginia, and other states whose activities impact its waters appear to be less than certain about what to do to improve the situation—or even how to stabilize it.
Recognizing that many of these issues are rooted in the legal system, the University of Baltimore School of Law will host a major symposium, "The Bay in Crisis: Saving the Chesapeake," on Friday, Nov. 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Venable Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room. This event, inaugurating an annual public gathering hosted by the school to examine the bay’s serious environmental issues in a legal context, will focus on the legislative and regulatory means via which the Chesapeake could be restored to a healthy and productive state. It will feature a series of panel discussions by local, state and federal officials, as well as policy specialists, private citizens, opinion leaders and the public. The event is free and open to the public, although space is limited. (Attendance information below.)
U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, a veteran member of Congress and a leader on environmental issues, will deliver a keynote address beginning at 8 a.m. The first panel will feature John R. Griffin, secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Shari T. Wilson, secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, and Richard Eberhart Hall, secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler will provide a keynote address at noon.
The second panel will feature William C. Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, J. Charles Fox, senior officer of the Pew Charitable Trusts and former secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Tom Horton, co-author of Turning the Tide and other books on the bay. The final panel will feature U.SD. Rep. Chris Van Hollen from Maryland's 8th District, and Jeffrey Lape, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program.
The symposium will drive toward a goal of determining what policies, laws and approaches are having an impact on the Chesapeake. "Current Bay Regulation: What’s Working and What’s Not Working" will serve as a secondary theme throughout the day.
UB School of Law Dean Phil Closius said that the school decided to host the symposium because it sits in the only major urban center bordering the bay. It also has strong and historic ties to the state's legislative and regulatory bulwarks, through leaders such as Steven A.G. Davison, professor of law and a specialist in environmental law and toxic torts. Davison is the author of Environmental Rights and Remedies (1972), the first treatise on environmental law, and co-author of the second edition of Chesapeake Waters (1997), an examination of the history of water quality and pollution of the bay.
"I look forward to the opportunity to explore the topic of this annual event, 'The Bay in Crisis,' from numerous legal angles," Closius said. "The University of Baltimore School of Law is the ideal neutral ground on which to assemble analysts and policymakers to discuss and debate the best practices for restoring the bay. Steven Davison, a professor here since 1974, has a long track record as a leader on issues related top the Chesapeake, making him an astute and appropriate resource and moderator for this and future symposia."
Davison will serve as a panel moderator during the day's events.
Panel topics will include the efficacy of Maryland's pollution regulations, citizens' perspectives on restoring the bay, and the federal government's programs to protect its waters from pollution.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 2006 status report on the estuary gave it an overall grade of "D," based on data from three major categories—pollution, habitat and fisheries. The bay's ecosystem is becoming more and more unbalanced, and water quality is near a tipping point, the foundation declared. Still, if regulators pursue an aggressive course, and if the state's new BayStat monitoring program—a joint effort by the departments of Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources and Planning—is successful, then the bay may recover.
"It is my hope that this event serves as a way to provide education about the state of the bay, while offering specific calls to action as to what can be done to help at the state and federal levels," Closius said.
To find out more about "The Bay in Crisis" or to R.S.V.P., please call 410.837.6797 or email lawalumni@ubalt.edu.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.