In this episode, Andy Kolesar hosts a discussion with retired Thompson Hine partner Mike Hardy who started practicing environmental law in the early 1970s–the time when USEPA and Ohio EPA were created and when Congress started enacting the major federal environmental laws, including NEPA, CAA and CWA, shortly followed by RCRA and CERCLA. Mike discusses his early career as the regulated community began dealing with the onslaught of new laws and regulations. He offers a first-hand account of how his utility clients struggled with stringent CAA and CWA regulations imposed upon coal-fired power plants. Mike also discusses the early days of Superfund and the complex litigation that ensued. Mike reflects on his long, successful career as an environmental lawyer and the evolution of changes impacting the practice spanning his career from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2018. Andy and Mike also take a look ahead at how developing technology, including AI, is impacting the current landscape of environmental law.
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