A Symposium on the Legal, Policy, and
Conservation Implications of Sackett v. EPA
Reflection and Complete Transcripts
A Note From Stan
On November 10, 2023, we welcomed an esteemed set of experts to help us navigate the pressing questions raised by the Supreme Court’s May 2023 decision in Sackett vs. the EPA. The quality of the discussion was so outstanding that we felt compelled to share it with a larger audience.
We are unlikely to run out of controversies
around water regulation any time soon.
As I reflect on the Symposium, some core insights emerged. First, the Sackett decision has not ended complexity in defining the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, nor has it given us the last word on Waters of the United States. Sackett has, however, sparked key conversations about the ways in which we will protect ecosystem water quality moving forward. Many questions remain: What can we do to protect our waters? Who will lead the efforts? How will we pay for it? Likewise, questions of what constitutes an adjacent wetland, where EPA authority ends, and the tensions between legal language and natural processes persist.
We encourage you to explore these conversations for further insights, by way of the complete transcripts and videos presented here. We are indebted to the extraordinary assistance of my student Althea Floge and the panelists who reviewed the rough transcripts, though any errors are strictly our own.
Best wishes,
Stan Meiburg, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Keynote Remarks
Elizabeth Biser, Secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, delivered the event’s keynote.
Keynote transcript & video
📷 Nate.Rosso at Adobe Stock
State Water Quality Policy
Water quality implications were discussed by a panel of experts featuring Keith Larick, Natural Resources Director, NC Farm Bureau Federation, Grady McCallie, NC Conservation Network, Edgar Miller, Yadkin Riverkeeper, and Robin Smith, Chair, NC Environmental Management Commission.
Sabin Center Executive Director Stan Meiburg moderated the conversation.
Panel transcript & video
📷 Joe at Adobe Stock
Legal Perspectives
We heard from a range of legal experts including Susan Bodine Earth and Water Law, Robin Craig, University of Southern California, Phillip Mancusi-Ungaro, Senior Counsel (ret.), US EPA Region 4, and Kelly Moser, Senior Attorney and Clean Water Program Leader, Southern Environmental Law Center.
Sabin Center Board Member Scott Schang, Professor of Practice and Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Clinic at Wake Forest’s School of Law, moderated the conversation.
Panel transcript & video
📷 Tom Ramsey at Adobe Stock
Land Conservation
Sackett’s implications for ecosystems and land conservations was discussed by a panel of experts including Bill Holman, NC State Director, The Conservation Fund, Reid Wilson, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Carolyn Ward, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and Ray Clark, River Crossing Strategies.
Ken Bridle, Ph.D., Conservation Adviser and Inventory Biologist, Piedmont Land Conservancy, moderated the conversation.
Panel transcript & video
📷 David at Adobe Stock