Lunch With Cruise Discharge

I was getting hungry by noon. I'd gotten to the Capitol at 8am for the State Affairs Committee meeting and hadn't had time to make lunch. So I thought I check out the Lunch and Learn session on Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge.

I knew nothing about the speaker until I got into the room.  There were lots of sandwiches and every chair had a glossy printout of the powerpoint presentation, which was good because it was on the side wall and hard to see.

Rep. Craig Johnson presented Lincoln Loehr who said he was from a law firm, Stoel Rives LLP, but was not an attorney.  A 1998 article, "MANAGING THE WATERWAYS -- TOO CLEAN FOR THE FISH?" that I found online identifies him as "an oceanographer working as an environmental analyst for Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe, Seattle."  

More searching found a more recent bio on the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation website that listed members of "a science advisory panel which will evaluate the most technologically effective and economically feasible wastewater treatment options for cruise ships."

Lincoln Loehr: An oceanographer employed in the law firm of Stoel Rives LLP in Seattle as an Environmental Compliance Analyst, his specialty is permitting of municipal and industrial wastewater discharges, and reviewing and commenting on regulatory developments related to such permitting. Mr. Loehr also served on the first Alaska Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharges Science Advisory Panel in 2001-2002. Mr. Loehr will fill the legislatively mandated cruise ship industry seat on the Panel.

This is the panel, if I have this figured out right, that was in the news the other day when Democrats protested the removal of Alaskan Gershon Cohen, who, according to Pat Forgey's article, "has a master's degree in molecular biology and a doctorate in environmental policy."

Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, said on the House floor Friday that he opposed having Cohen on the panel, and supported his dismissal. 

Loehr's page on the Stoel Rives LLB website describes him as a paralegal rather than an oceanographer, but does list his education:

• University of Washington, M.S., Public Administration, 1977
• University of Washington, B.S., Oceanography and Geology, 1969

The resume doesn't give us specific work history, so it is hard to tell to what extent he supplemented what is now a 40 year old undergraduate degree with more advanced and more current study.   I'm just trying to figure out what exactly his credentials are. 

But when I was at the presentation, I didn't realize any of this or have these questions.  He went through a lot of technical jargon, nicely mixed with understandable language that left me with the impression that he felt that the cruise lines were not a serious threat to the environment.  I recorded some parts and have only edited out a couple of seconds so that when it switches from one shot to the next, it doesn't stop or start mid-sentence.  So you can a sense of his comfort talking on the subject.  Since I don't have the technical background I can't judge the science. 

Here are just a few of the many slides he showed.  

 

  

 

  

 

Some other sources:

According to Wikipedia:

Stoel Rives LLP is a large U.S. law firm based in Portland, Oregon which is best known for its expertise in environmental law. According to the National Law Journal's 2007 rankings, it is the 133rd largest law firm in the United States, making it the largest law firm in the state of Oregon, and one of the largest in the Northwestern United States.
The firm also ranked 157th in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.^[3]

And here's a bit from Stoel Rives LLP's own website:

A Proven Track Record
We have handled some of the highest profile federal and state NPDES permitting actions (for new and existing facilities) and section 404 permitting actions (for new and expanding developments) in the West. We work closely with our client's engineers and consultants to find a practical balance between the client's business needs and the scientific and technical challenges of the water quality issue at hand. With this big-picture understanding, we can help clients navigate regulatory constraints so that workable permits can be obtained on schedule.

While we emphasize negotiation and staking out a common ground, the Water Quality Team stands ready to prosecute or defend permit challenges, defend against agency enforcement actions (civil and criminal), and defend citizen suits in order to protect our clients' interests. We possess the legal and technical experience necessary to handle even the most complex water quality cases effectively, and we can help you develop long-term strategies to cost-efficiently resolve water quality issues before they become lawsuits.

And for a different perspective, here's the take on some of these issues from an attorney who bills himself as:

a nationally recognized attorney involved in admiralty and maritime personal injury law. He has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983. Based in Miami, Florida, Jim represents passengers and crew members injured or assaulted on cruise ships.