Ramifications of New NEPA Regulations on Agencies and Consultants

HDR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will moderate a panel to discuss application of the September 2020 Council on Environmental Quality final rule updating its regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. Representatives from various government agencies and from the industry will introduce their perspective with short opening statements about how the new regulations are affecting their agencies or industry. Panelists will also discuss possible further changes to NEPA regulations under the new presidential administration. The moderators will then focus the discussion with questions and panel conversation to address several of the recent changes to the regulations, and how agencies and consultants are dealing with the changes as agency-specific guidance and regulations are being updated. The panel discussion will be followed by an extensive audience question period. The goal is to enlighten the audience with the agency progress and intentions of implementing the regulations and allow for industry and audience input.

NEPA Track, 1.5 AICP Credits

Patrick Solomon, CEP
Sr. NEPA Project Manager
HDR

Patrick Solomon is a Senior NEPA Project Manager at HDR who has been working on NEPA projects for over 25 years. He has technical knowledge of environmental regulations including NEPA, and has served as project manager for over 45 EISs, EAs, EBS/ECP reports, BAs, INRMPs, and general conformity determinations. Programs he has expertise with include Department of Defense (DoD) and other Federal master planning and land use programs, and infrastructure and transportation development and privatization. He oversees NEPA environmental effects determinations for multiple resource areas and provides QA and peer review for environmental documentation.

Erica Boulanger
Project Manager/Biologist
USACE Fort Worth District

Erica Boulanger has over 12 years of experience in the environmental consulting field. Her analytical experience includes project management, NEPA document preparation, economic impact analysis, alternative energy feasibility analysis, watershed management, wastewater management planning, and land use planning. Her technical experience includes GIS analysis, development of soil quality measurement methodology, biological surveys (marine and terrestrial), regulatory review, regulatory drafting, and abandoned mine site reclamation feasibility. She has testified on behalf of her employer at public hearings on land use disputes, local environmental issues, and has represented local government in communicating with press and media. She has proven strengths in document preparation and review, as well as written and oral presentation. Her field experience includes environmental sample collection, species dispersal studies, flora and fauna collection, surface water sampling for algal growth and measure of shallow hyporheic flow.

Timothy Lavalle
Founder & President
LPES, Inc.

Timothy Lavallee is the founder and president of LPES, Inc.; a Virginia based engineering and planning small business enterprise specializing in air quality, noise, and transportation planning. Mr. Lavallee is well qualified with more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field. Mr. Lavallee has managed or been directly involved in projects with the DoD, USACE, DHS, FERC, DOE, GSA, and USCG. These efforts primarily include preparing Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Environmental Assessments (EA). Mr. Lavallee previously worked for Lockheed Martin at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Langley Research Center in flight test support and environmental noise reduction. Before this, he worked at Logan International Airport for the Massachusetts Port Authority’s environmental planning branch.