Twin Ports Freshwater Folk invites you to their virtual December 3 event on PFAS regulation in the Great Lakes and Minnesota with speakers Catherine (Cathy) Janasie, senior research counsel at the National Sea Grant Law Center, and Fawkes Char, agency PFAS coordinator at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Janasie's presentation is titled "Comparative Analysis of State Regulation of PFAS in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Regions," and Char's presentation is titled "Addressing PFAS Pollution in Minnesota: An Overview."
December's event will be virtual only and begins at noon.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required for virtual attendance.
Registration
Registration is required to attend this free, virtual event.
Event schedule
- 12:00 p.m. Attendee announcements
- 12:05 p.m. Seminars
- 12:45 p.m. Moderated question and answer session
- Adjourning by 1 p.m. at the latest.
Speaker Bios
- Catherine (Cathy) M. Janasie
- Catherine M. Janasie is Research Counsel II (Sr.) with the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she provides legal and policy analyses to organizations and government entities on ocean, coastal, and natural resources issues. Janasie is also a faculty member at the law school and teaches environmental law, natural resources law, agricultural law, and land planning. Prior to joining the NSGLC, Janasie received her LL.M. in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Law School and worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System Division of Realty. Previously, she practiced law in New York, New York at the law firm of Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP. Janasie received her J.D. and B.A. from Rutgers University.
- Fawkes Char
- Fawkes Char currently serves as the Agency PFAS Coordinator at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). In this role, Char coordinates and collaborates with staff and leadership across the MPCA and at other state agencies, and acts as liaison with other states, federal partners, and a variety of stakeholders to advance the goals
identified under Minnesota's PFAS Blueprint. Char's expertise ranges from media-specific technical issues to big-picture policy considerations. Char has a B.S. in environmental science, a B.A. in policy, and an M.S. in forestry. As a trained and practiced ecologist, they excel in connecting people with new ideas and concepts that relate to their work, creating opportunities for learning and collective forward progress.
- Fawkes Char currently serves as the Agency PFAS Coordinator at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). In this role, Char coordinates and collaborates with staff and leadership across the MPCA and at other state agencies, and acts as liaison with other states, federal partners, and a variety of stakeholders to advance the goals
Presentation Abstracts
- Comparative Analysis of State Regulation of PFAS in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Regions
- Recent research shows that per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive in the environment, which presents human health and other risks from potential exposure. In response, federal and state governments have begun to develop and enact laws and regulations to address PFAS contamination. In particular, states in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions have taken a variety of regulatory steps concerning PFAS, such as establishing fish consumption advisory levels or discharge standards. In response, the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) has conducted legal research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the state of PFAS regulation in these regions. The NSGLC’s legal scan has identified and compiled relevant provisions related to PFAS contamination for each state. The NSGLC’s comparative analysis for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions provides an overview of the regulatory steps each state has taken regarding different PFAS pathways, such as drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and consumer products. The comparative analysis also identifies similarities and differences between the states, as well as the status of federal PFAS regulation. This talk will discuss the results of the NSGLC’s research and the available resources created as part of the project.
- Addressing PFAS Pollution in Minnesota: An Overview
- In 2021, several Minnesota state agencies came together to publish the PFAS Blueprint, which identified potential paths forward to prevent, mitigate, and clean up PFAS pollution across Minnesota. This presentation covers the progress made in the time since publication.
- In 2021, several Minnesota state agencies came together to publish the PFAS Blueprint, which identified potential paths forward to prevent, mitigate, and clean up PFAS pollution across Minnesota. This presentation covers the progress made in the time since publication.
About TPFF
Twin Ports Freshwater Folk (TPFF) is an informal gathering of individuals from the Twin Ports who are involved in freshwater research, policy, or regulatory issues. Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month and include networking, informal discussion, and a seminar.
Event Sponsors
- Minnesota Sea Grant
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth
- Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth
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Contact
Alex Frie, research and fellowship coordinator, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth. [email protected].
Left image credit: Cathy Janasie. Right image credit: Fawkes Char.