Life After Deference: How the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Decision Has Changed the Interpretation of Environmental Statutes and Regulations

Life After Deference: How the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Decision Has Changed the Interpretation of Environmental Statutes and Regulations

Environmental attorneys Chris Leason and Liam Vega Martin will present "Life After Deference: How the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Decision Has Changed the Playing Field for the Interpretation of Environmental Statutes and Regulations" at the February Technical Meeting of the Environmental Professionals of Arizona (EPAZ).

For forty years, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council required federal courts to defer to administrative agencies when it came to interpreting ambiguous federal statutes. Now, with Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken back the reigns, declaring the judiciary’s duty to “say what the law is.”

With the Loper Bright shockwave just beginning to reach state and lower federal courts, it is not yet clear how (or how eagerly) the judiciary will use this authority. Chris Leason and Liam Vega Martin, who recently published a comment on the subject in the Environmental Law Reporter, will discuss Chevron, Loper Bright, and the future of judicial deference to agency interpretations.

WHEN
Monday, February 10, 2025
11:30 AM Check-In & Networking
12:00 to 1:00 PM Presentation

WHERE
ASU SkySong
1475 North Scottsdale Road, Bldg 1, Room 301
Scottsdale, AZ 85257 (parking map)

Members, non-members, students, and scholarship recipients are encouraged to attend. Register today to secure your spot.

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about the presenters

Chris Leason is an environmental attorney focusing in the areas of regulatory compliance and civil enforcement defense involving hazardous waste, chemical facility anti-terrorism standards, regulatory enforcement, rulemaking, litigation risk management, and due diligence audits. A nationally recognized Resource Conservation and Recovery Act practitioner, Chris has particular knowledge in the identification and management of solid and hazardous wastes, financial assurance, corrective action, permitting, underground storage tank testing and removal, and land disposal restriction requirements.

Liam Vega Martin works primarily in the firm’s environmental department and commercial litigation practice, emphasizing environmental regulations such as federal compliance with solid and hazardous waste, site assessments, due diligence, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Toxic Substances Control Act rulemakings. He also assists with legal issues across diverse industries, including auto dealer representation, corporate disputes, and trusts and estates.

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