Law, Science, and Truth: New Developments in the Endangered Species Act

TVA v. Hill is the quintessential Endangered Species Act case, and perhaps represents the absolute high water mark for environmental law in the Supreme Court. From the beginning, the iconic “snail darter” case has been used as a political attack weapon against environmental protection and the regulatory process generally. Now, at a time of unprecedented major assaults against the administrative state, the case has come under renewed media commentaries and political attacks to undercut environmental laws and science.

Focusing on this classic TVA v. Hill case of a small endangered fish versus TVA’s last dam, the workshop panel will investigate how—and how well—science and environmental policies are being analyzed and presented within the federal government political process.

Panelists:

• Zygmunt Plater – successfully carried TVA v. Hill through the Supreme Court
• James Williams – federal biologist, retired, who listed the endangered snail darter in 1975
• Tierra Curry – senior biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity; led the petition effort to de-list the snail darter
• Peggy Shute – retired TVA biologist; longtime colleague of professor who discovered the darter
• Mary Burnham-Curtis – senior geneticist, retired, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Barbara Shields – retired fisheries & wildlife professor, Oregon State Univ.; Bonneville Power Authority
• Mallory Morgan – Tennessee genetics expert
• Patrick Parenteau – past chief counsel for EPA Region One, litigator in major endangered species cases, commissioner of Vermont Natural Resources Agency
• Caroline Solomon – YSE student
• Jon Vale – YSE student

RSVP¹ required for non-YLS attendees. Non-pizza, non-Koffee lunch provided.