JASON J. CZARNEZKI

An Announcement for the folks at Fulbright:

Represent American Scholarship Abroad – Fulbright

Competition opens in February. Deadline is August 1.

To learn how to present your credentials, visit scholars.

Vermont’s new electronic waste disposal law went into effect on January 1, 2011. The Agency of Natural Resources is accepting public comment until Jan. 28th on its draft "E-Waste Sound Management Procedure." The policy may also be found at this link.

http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/e-waste/

Hat Tip: Sarah Buxton

Vermont Law School is recruiting a new law fellow to head up the toxics program within the environmental clinic at Vermont Law School, known as the Partnership for Justice. In collaboration with Toxics Action Center, the law fellow will be helping to supervise JD students in providing legal advice to communities dealing with contaminated sites and toxic pollution sources throughout northern New England. The law fellow is expected to work part-time in the clinic for two years while pursuing an LLM degree. The fellowship includes a full tuition waiver, $35,000 stipend, and health benefits. Please pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested. For more information, please see the announcement on our website and contact our Litigation Paralegal and Office Manager, Monica Litzelman, at mlitzelman@vermontlaw.edu with any questions. http://www.vermontlaw.edu/Admissions/Tuition_and_Financial_Aid/Fellowships/Environmental_and_Natural_Resources_Law_Clinic_Fellowship.htm

When I was in Hong Kong, there was an article in the South China Morning Post about Westerners and businessman moving their families from Hong Kong to Singapore due to the increasingly poor air quality in Hong Kong. And now this report: Severe Smog Linked to Death in Hong Kong.

Apparently, at the Golden Globe awards, actors dined on “eco-friendly beef tenderloin.” What does that mean?

I suspect it means grass-fed and locally sourced in California. I’m completely fine with folks eating a little beef, especially if the animal is on a pasture and has only one bad day, but to say that it’s environmentally friendly to serve beef to hundreds of people is a bit much.

So says the title of this article in the Burlington Free Press.

First Scott Walker kills high-speed rail in Wisconsin, and now he tries to kill wind power. See article here. The byline:

“A proposal by Gov. Scott Walker, praised by some as a strong defense of property rights, would erect the biggest hurdle to wind farm development in the nation, industry leaders said Friday.”

On the good side, last night I finished the book Game Change, and started the book Lost Moon (which has literally been sitting on my shelf for literally 17 years since I met fellow Milwaukeean Jim Lovell and he signed a copy for me).  After reading Game Change, two things stuck out: (1) Did John Edwards really think he could become President given her personal affairs?, and (2) Regardless of your views of Sarah Palin, she did energize the Republican base and really was not well-supported by McCain campaign due the very quick vetting process (if you can call it that).

Today was an absolutely crazy/busy day.  With my partner at Yale, I walked the dogs, got the kids (who still have jetlag from the China trip) up and dressed, walked the older kid to school with younger kid in tow, took care of the younger kid all day, picked up older kid with younger kid in tow, dropped off car for partner downtown so she has it when bus gets in, took kids for snack, walked home (note: it’s cold in Vermont and sidewalks are still in poor condition from Wednesday’s snow), cooked dinner, gave kids bath, read stories and put kids to bed.  During this day, I received too many emails to count, I’ve sent 59 emails so far, I had three work phone calls, and I’ve scheduled a dozen meetings for the next two weeks…it’s a good thing my younger daughter is very good at playing by herself when Daddy is on the phone.

In other news, here’s the NY Times article about the EPA actually using their Clean Water Act section 404 veto authority to stop a coal mining project.  Additional commentary at Green Law.  In my forthcoming book, in the chapter on sprawl, I write:

In terms of federal enforcement, EPA must more readily exert the veto authority granted to it under the Clean Water Act. Rather than acquiesce to what can become almost routine issuance of wetlands fill permits by the Corps, EPA could more actively review the effects of permit issuance for “unacceptable adverse effects.” EPA generally has been too reluctant to exert this authority.

Finally, in light of the ridiculously busy day, I refuse to do work tomorrow night.  Go Pack.

Preliminary Schedule of VJEL 2011 Symposium:

China’s Environmental Governance: Global Challenges and Comparative Solutions

This year, the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, in collaboration with U.S.-China Partnership, will be hosting our annual Symposium, entitled China’s Environmental Governance: Global Challenges and Comparative Solutions.  The Symposium will take place on Wednesday, March 2, 2011.  It will bring together scholars from China, the United States, and the local community, with panels on Comparative Solutions to Climate Change, Enforcement Remedies to Environmental Issues, and Adjudicative Remedies to Environmental Issues.  John C. Nagle of the University of Notre Dame will be the keynote speaker.

9:00 AM          —        Breakfast

9:30 AM          —        Welcoming Remarks by Professor Siu Tip Lam (Vermont Law School)

9:45 AM          —        Panel One: Comparative Solutions to Climate Change

Including: Adam Moser (Vermont Law School), WANG Mingyuan (Tsinghua University), Jennifer Turner (Woodrow Wilson Center), LI Yanfang (Renmin University)

11:10 AM        —        Coffee Break

11:20 AM        —        Panel Two: Enforcement Remedies to Environmental Issues

Including: WANG Canfa (China University of Political Science and Law), Jingling Liu (Vermont Law School), Patricia McCubbin (Southern Illinois University School of Law)

12:45 PM         —        Lunch

2:10 PM           —        Panel Three: Adjudicative Remedies to Environmental Issues

Including: Robert Percival (University of Maryland), Honorable Merideth Wright (Vermont Environmental Court), LI Zhiping (Sun Yat-Sen University Law School), ZHANG Jingjing (Public Interest Law Institute)

4:00 PM           —        Keynote Address by Professor John Copeland Nagle (University of Notre Dame)

I just love it when the EPA actually decides to uses its veto power under section 404 of the Clean Water Act.  Holly Doremus at Legal Planet has commentary here.