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Committees

Air

    The Air Committee of the Environmental Law Section is composed of attorneys who practice in, or are interested in, federal, state, and local air pollution control laws. Air laws involve significant issues for business and environmental groups in Michigan, while the laws, regulations, and agency interpretations of those laws are in flux. The Air Committee meets quarterly to discuss current topics before EPA and MDEQ, as well as air permitting and legal issues relative to the practice of environmental law in Michigan. The Air Committee also presents air issue-related seminars, and conducts site visits for air pollution control projects.

    The Air Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in air issues, and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: S. Lee Johnson
    Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn LLP
    660 Woodward Ave. Suite 2290
    Detroit, MI 48226
    Phone: (313) 465-7432
    Fax: (313) 465-7433
    e-Mail: sljohnson@honigman.com

    Vice-Chair: Kurt A. Kissling
    Pepper Hamilton LLP
    100 Renaissance Center Floor 36
    Detroit, MI 48243
    Phone: (313) 393-7313
    Fax: (313) 259-7926
    e-Mail: kisslingk@pepperlaw.com
    Web: www.pepperlaw.com

Deskbook

    Editor: Jeffrey K. Haynes
    Beier Howlett PC
    200 E. Long Lake Road, Suite 110
    Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
    Phone: (248) 282-1070
    Fax: (248) 282-1089
    e-Mail: jhaynes@beierhowlett.com

    Co-Editor: Gene Smary
    Warner, Norcross & Judd, LLP
    111 Lyon Street NW, Suite 900
    Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2487
    Phone: (616) 752-2129
    Fax: (616) 222-2129
    e-Mail: esmary@wnj.com

Environmental Litigation and Administrative Practice
    The Environmental Litigation Committee is responsible for legal issues that relate to environmental disputes in administrative, state, and federal jurisdictional forums. The Committee periodically arranges programs on these topics.

    The Environmental Litigation Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in the foregoing issues and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: Steven H. Huff
    Of Counsel Donnelly W. Hadden PC
    2395 S Huron Pkwy Ste 200
    Ann Arbor, MI  48104
    Phone: (734) 477-7744
    Fax: (734) 973-1223
    e-Mail: shhuff@earthlink.net

    Vice-Chair: Ernest Chiodo
    Ernest Chiodo PC
    35770 Harper Ave.
    Clinton Township, MI 48035
    Phone: (586) 746-1761
    Fax: (586) 746-0269
    e-Mail: echiodo@pol.net

Hazardous Substances and Brownfields

    The Hazardous Substances Committee is responsible for legal issues that relate to the treatment, storage, disposal, and remediation of hazardous substances (including hazardous wastes) under both federal and state law, including CERCLA, RCRA subtitle C, and Parts 111 and 201 of NREPA. It is also responsible for the topics of liability under those statutes for injunctive relief, recovery of response costs and natural resource damages, related contribution actions, and associated claims for insurance coverage. Finally, it is responsible for the topic of managing transactions that are complicated by the real or potential presence of hazardous substances by environmental investigations, baseline environmental assessments and related mechanisms, environmental insurance, and incentives for brownfield re-development.

    The Hazardous Substances Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in the foregoing issues and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: Charles M. Denton
    Varnum Riddering Schmidt Howlett LLP
    333 Bridge Street NW
    PO Box 352
    Grand Rapids, MI 49501
    Phone: (616) 336-6538
    Fax: (616) 336-7000
    e-Mail: cmdenton@varnumlaw.com
    Web: www.varnumlaw.com

    Vice-Chair: Joshua W. Gubkin
    Environmental Counsel
    Office of the General Counsel, Chrysler LLC
    CIMS 485-13-62
    1000 Chrysler Drive
    Auburn Hills MI USA 48326
    Phone: ( 24) 512-1658
    Fax: (248) 512-4196
    e-Mail:jwg51@chrysler.com

Michigan Environmental Law Journal

    Chair: Robert Schroder
    Assistant General Counsel
    ArvinMeritor Inc.
    8921 Margo Dr
    Brighton, MI 48114
    Phone: (248) 346-7857
    Fax: (810) 229-0326
    e-Mail: robertschroder@comcast.net

    Vice-Chair: Peter D. Holmes
    BorgWarner Inc.
    3850 Hamlin Rd.
    Auburn Hills, MI 48326
    Phone: (248) 754-0889
    Fax: (248) 754-9563
    e-Mail: pholmes@borgwarner.com

Membership

    It is the mission of the Membership Committee to: (1) assist the Section and each of the other committees in their respective functions by providing useful information about the membership of the Section and its needs and interests; (2) increase Section membership; and (3) promote race/ethnic and gender diversity in the membership and leadership of the Section.

    The Membership Committee encourages any interested Environmental Law Section members to join this Committee or attend the next meeting. If you need more information, please contact:

    Chair: Dustin P. Ordway
    Miller Johnson
    250 Monroe Ave. N.W. Suite 800
    PO Box 306
    Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0306
    Phone: (616) 831-1706
    Fax: (616) 988-1706
    e-Mail: ordwayd@millerjohnson.com
    Web: www.millerjohnson.com

    Vice-Chair: Christopher M. Bzdok
    Olson Bzdok & Howard PC
    420 E Front St.
    Traverse City, MI 49686
    Phone: (231) 946-0044
    Fax: (231) 946-4807
    e-Mail: chris@envlaw.com

Natural Resources

    The Natural Resources Committee tracks developments in federal state and local laws and regulations that relate to issues concerning natural resources, including wetlands, oil and gas, mining, forestry and fisheries. The Committee periodically arranges programs on these topics.

    Chair: Joseph E. Quandt
    Zimmerman Kuhn Darling Boyd Taylor Quandt & Phelps PLC
    412 S Union St.
    Traverse City, MI 49684
    Phone: (231) 947-7900
    Fax: (231) 941-5154
    e-Mail: jequandt@zimmerman-kuhn.com

    Vice-Chair: Matthew D. Zimmerman
    Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett LLP
    333 Bridge St NW
    PO Box 352
    Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0352
    Phone: (616) 336-6536
    Fax: (616) 336-7000
    e-Mail: mdzimmerman@varnumlaw.com
    Web: www.varnumlaw.com

Program

    The Program Committee plans educational programs for the benefit of section members. The committee meets monthly by phone for about an hour to discuss the needs and interests of the members. The programs are designed to provide members with information on important new developments and opportunities for socializing and networking with other section members.

    The length and content of programs vary widely, from informal lunch roundtables covering one topic to multiple day seminars that cover numerous topics. The committee selects dates, locations, and general themes for the programs, and one or two committee members will chair or co-chair the programs. The chair/co-chairs arrange for speakers and other details of the programs. Certain program committee members also function as liaisons to the subject matter committees to facilitate programming for those committees.

    In short, the Program Committee provides opportunities for members to be kept informed on important new developments in the environmental legal landscape. Planning those opportunities is an effective and fun way to participate in section activities.

    The Program Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in keeping Section members up to date on current events and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: Kurt M. Brauer
    Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
    2000 Town Ctr Ste 2700
    Southfield, MI 48075-1318
    Phone: (248) 784-5182
    Fax: (248) 603-9782
    e-Mail: kbrauer@wnj.com
    Web: www.wnj.com

Technology

    The Technology Committee supports the Section's use of Bar-provided resources such as the listserve and the website, and investigates, develops, and supports the use of newer communications technologies as suggested by the Section. The Technology Committee also investigates and prepares presentations for the Section on new environmental technologies.

    The Technology Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in the Section's technology related issues, and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: John L. Tatum
    John L. Tatum, PC
    4931 Ranch Lane
    Bloomfield, MI 48302
    Phone: (248) 203-7030
    Fax: (248) 203-7028
    e-Mail: johnt@tatum.com
    Web: www.tatum.com

    Vice-Chair: Christopher M. Bzdok
    Olson Bzdok & Howard PC
    420 E Front St
    Traverse City, MI 49686
    Phone: (231) 946-0044
    Fax: (231) 946-4807
    e-Mail: chris@envlaw.com
    Web: www.envlaw.com

Water

    The Water Committee tracks developments in federal, state, and local regulation of discharges to and use of surface water and groundwater. The Committee periodically arranges programs in which experts in water law discuss important developments in surface water or groundwater regulation. These programs also offer an opportunity for Section members to meet and benefit from learning about other attorneys' experiences in working on water-related matters.

    The Water Committee welcomes any Environmental Law Section member interested in the foregoing issues and maintains an e-Mail list to notify members of meetings and events.

    Chair: Dennis J. Donohue
    Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
    111 Lyon St. NW
    900 Fifth Third Center
    Grand Rapids, MI 49503
    Phone: (616) 752-2192
    Fax: (616) 222-2192
    e-Mail: ddonohue@wnj.com
    Web: www.wnj.com

    Vice-Chair: Scott J. Steiner
    Rhoades McKee
    161 Ottawa Ave. N.W. Suite 600
    Grand Rapids, MI 49503
    Phone: (616) 235-3500
    Fax: (616) 233-5269
    e-Mail: sjsteiner@rhoadesmckee.com