An ELI Public Seminar
In 1990, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) to strengthen the federal government’s ability to prevent and respond to oil spills, establish financial resources to aid response, and raise standards for contingency planning.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup and allocation of responsibility have severely tested that program, as have a variety of transportation related spills, both from pipelines and railroads. As U.S. domestic oil production rapidly increases and strains the transportation system’s capacity to move large new volumes of crude oil and refined product without mishap, the time is ripe to address how the legal system is adapting to these new and unexpected challenges.
Our expert panelists briefed participants about developments in oil pollution law and related issues such as:
- the pending Deepwater Horizon civil penalty action and resolution of related issues stemming from the disaster
- challenges posed by rapidly increasing pipeline and railroad transportation of crude oil and products
- developments regarding natural resource damage assessments and liability
- how the OPA can be used to address future challenges in the supply and demand of crude oil
Panelists:
Russell Randle, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
David Coburn, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Jimmie Powell, Senior Policy Advisory for Energy, The Nature Conservancy
Rodney Slater, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs; former Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (1997-2001)
Materials:
If you are an ELI member and are logged onto the Members site, you will see links below to available materials/recordings from this session. If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like these, please go HERE to learn more about the many benefits of membership and to join.
ELI Resources:
Oil Pollution Deskbook, 2nd ed. (2012)
ELI Ocean Program's Gulf of Mexico Restoration and Recovery website provides a wealth of free information about the ongoing recovery efforts in the region. The site contains searchable databases, downloadable research reports, and more.