Since 2001, the University of Toledo College of Law has hosted an annual Great Lakes Water Conference that brings together leading academics, policy makers, and legal practitioners to explore the range of legal issues facing the Great Lakes. I’ve made the trip down to Toledo almost every year for this conference, and always find it an excellent forum to learn and debate current issues and exchange cutting-edge ideas. Professor Ken Kilbert runs a superb program every year, and this year’s conference on November 5 has another great lineup of topics and speakers.
Tim Eder, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Commission (and my former colleague at National Wildlife Federation), will be the keynote speaker. I’m doing double duty at the conference, moderating the “Drugs in Our Waters” panel (focusing on pharmaceuticals that go down our toilets and threaten aquatic life and human health) and speaking on the “Compact, Carp, Shores and Spills” panel (addressing a series of hot legal topics affecting water resources and the Great Lakes – I’ll cover oil drilling and spills). The “Renewable Energy: Yes In My Back Yard” panel (exploring challenges faced by off-shore wind turbines and solar energy facilities) also looks fantastic. For the full agenda and registration information, see the conference brochure.