WEFTEC Special Sessions to Address National Environmental Priorities and the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) will feature two special sessions on hot topic water quality issues during WEFTEC 2010 next month in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Robert Perciasepe have been invited and are expected as featured speakers.

The first session, “National Environmental Priorities” is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 4 from 10:30 am to noon in Room 255 of the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator, Robert Perciasepe will update attendees on the agency’s current policies, priorities and programs—with a special emphasis on water issues. Potential topics for discussion include the agency’s response to the 2010 Gulf oil spill, EPA’s newly released Clean Water Strategy, global warming/greenhouse gases, agency budgets, stormwater issues, green infrastructure, and the status of the State Revolving Fund (SRF).

“Deepwater Horizon: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response and its Effects on the Water Environment” will be held the following day on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 1:30 pm to 5 pm in Room 357 of the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. Invited speakers from federal, state and local agencies, including New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, are expected to share their experiences and discuss the way our country views and deals with these types of emergencies, including the overall coordination of response efforts and the short- and long-term effects on the environment. Other speakers include:

 

• Secretary Peggy Hatch from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality will discuss state-level issues.
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• Dr. Deborah French McCay from Applied Science Associates, Inc., on behalf of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will discuss modeling issues.
• Mayor Connie Moran of the City of Ocean Springs, Miss. will provide a local government perspective.
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• Dr. David Keith from Anchor QEA, an environmental science and engineering firm that focuses on shoreline and river projects, will also provide a local government perspective.
• Thomas A. Holden Jr., P.E. from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District will discuss the Corps’ ecosystem restoration opportunities and how those projects will provide current and long-term recovery/restoration.
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• Tom Brosnan from NOAA will discuss the program’s National Damage Resource Assessment.

 

WEFTEC 2010, WEF’s 83rd Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference, will be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center from Oct. 2-6. As the largest annual water quality conference and exhibition in the world, this year’s event will host thousands of water professionals and exhibitors from around the world and feature the latest in research, training, solutions and cutting-edge technologies.

For the latest conference details, including registration and housing information, please visit www.weftec.org.