Erler & Kalinowski, Inc. (EKI) is pleased to announce our participation at the following events.

• Deepa Gandhi, P.E. at the California Association for Local Economic Development’s (CALED) “Brownfields Funding Sources” webinar on Wednesday, August 17, 2016.
• Anona Dutton, P.G., C.Hg. at the Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment (AWWEE)’s “Regulating California’s Thirst for Groundwater” seminar on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

We have provided a list of the topics and speakers, summaries of the presentations, and event information below.

CALED’s Webinar Wednesday – “Brownfields Funding Sources”

Wednesday, August 17, 2016 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (PST). Free for CALED members and $55.00 for non-members.

Presentation Summary: As part of CALED’s Brownfield & Land Revitalization Committee, Deepa Gandhi of EKI will be moderating the webinar entitled, “Brownfields Funding Sources” that will discuss the latest trends and different funding opportunities available to revitalize brownfields in communities. The following topics will be presented:

1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Brownfields Program – Grants and Other Assistance – Lisa Hanusiak (U.S. EPA Brownfields Project Manager, Region 9, Superfund Division) will cover the types of assistance, including grants and other support, available to government entities, tribes and non-profit organizations through EPA’s Brownfields Program.

2. Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) Revolving Fund Program – Maryam Tasnif-Abbasi (DTSC Project Manager/128(a) Grant Coordinator, So Cal Schools & Brownfields Outreach) will discuss a low-interest revolving loan fund that provides loans to help developers, businesses, schools, and local governments perform environmental cleanup and redevelop brownfields.  She will also share information on the Community-Wide Assessment Grant which will be used for the assessment of brownfields within the greater Los Angeles area, specifically around the Interstate-710 corridor.

3. State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) Site Cleanup SubAccount Program (SCAP) – Tim E. Post, P.G., C.Hg, (SWRCB Supervising Engineering Geologist, ECAP/SCAP/EAR/Orphan Sites/LOPs, UST Cleanup Fund), is responsible for the implementation of Senate Bill 445’s Site Cleanup Subaccount Program (SCAP).  SCAP is designed to provide funding for investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites without regard to the source of the contamination, particularly where there are no viable responsible parties.  Funding for SCAP is through a 3 mil set-aside from the State’s two-cent petroleum storage fee which is estimated to provide approximately $19.75 million per year for grants to remediate the harm caused by existing or threatened surface or groundwater contamination.  Eligible projects must show that the responsible party lacks financial resources (ability to pay) and the Regional Board or local agency has issued directive (this requirement can be waived).

For more information on this event or to register, please visit caled.org.

AWWEE’s “Regulating California’s Thirst for Groundwater”

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm (PST) at the Holland & Knight LLP office on 50 California Street, 28^th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111. Members and Sustaining/Platinum Members* registration fee is $10.00. Non-member registration is $35.00.

Presentation Summary: AWWEE’s seminar on “Regulating California’s Thirst for Groundwater” will discuss California’s new groundwater regulatory program.  This program is a dramatic change from the past “race to the pumphouse” or “just drill deeper” system that existed in California until 2015.  The panel will explain the fundamentals, provide insights on how the new regulations were developed, and provide examples of how the program will impact us locally.

Expert Panel Members Include:

1. Anona Dutton, Vice President (Water Resources) at EKI.  Anona is deeply involved in Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation throughout the State, including provision of strategic and technical support for Groundwater Sustainable Agency formation, Groundwater Sustainability Plan development, and basin boundary adjustments.

2. Hong Lin, Regional Coordinator at the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) North Central Region Office.  Hong is part of DWR’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Program team and leads the region office teams in alignment of state and local SGMA implementation through communication and engagement. She brings her technical expertise in watershed management and water supply evaluation into advancing sustainable groundwater management.

3. Joey Meldrum, Attorney (Land Use & Environmental Law) at Holland & Knight.  Joey brings over a decade of technical experience performing soil and groundwater investigations as a civil engineer and geologist to her environmental law practice where she advises clients on regulatory compliance and land use matters.

4. Tara Kaushik (moderator):  Partner (Energy Law) at Holland & Knight. Tara focuses her practice on regulatory matters, with a specific emphasis on energy, natural resources, and the environment.

For more information on this event or to register, please visit awwee.org. Seats are limited so register now!

*(Employees of California ISO, Department of Water Resources, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, The Energy Coalition)