The Environmental Affairs Law Review of Boston College Law School, a journal of law, science, and policy, is hosting a symposium “Learning from Disaster: Lessons for the Future from the Gulf of Mexico” Friday November 12. Here’s the official description:
Twenty years ago Boston College Law School researched legal issues arising from the Exxon Valdez spill for the State of Alaska Oil Spill Commission. This year, the Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review is drawing upon scholars from around the nation and the world to contribute similarly effective research and policy analysis in the wake of an even larger catastrophe, the BP Deepwater Blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. The symposium is prospective: we will focus on learning from the current crisis and developing ideas to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Presenters will offer critiques of the current regulatory structure and propose changes in regulation they believe necessary to avert another crisis. The keynote speech will focus on how the spill and the resulting cleanup efforts have affected the ecosystem in the Gulf and along the shore.
Dr. Riki Ott, a marine toxicologist, community activist, and former commercial salmon “fisherm'am” who experienced firsthand the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill will be giving the keynote address. Dr. Ott will be introduced by Professor Zyg Plater, who chaired the State of Alaska Oil Spill Commission’s Legal Task Force over a two-year period after the wreck of the M/V Exxon-Valdez. I’ll be speaking about oil drilling policy in the Great Lakes in the wake of the Gulf blowout disaster, presenting some recommendations for reform (paper forthcoming). Check out the conference website for more info and to register online.
