Industrial companies that are (or have been) generators, transporters or disposers of hazardous waste or whose operations have (or may in the future) result in the release of oil, or oil spills, can greatly benefit from the Group's US Program.
Special Conferences to Address Policy and Practice
We are on our way to holding our 8th NRD Symposium, involving industry, practitioners (attorneys, scientists and economists), trustees (federal, state and tribal), policy makers and academicians, among others. This year's program will address ways to move environmental liability and natural resource damage assessment into a more routine and predictable practice arena.
Our most recent Symposium, held in 2009, looked at ways to encourage innovation in approaches, tools, frameworks and restoration solutions while promoting efficient, cost-effective and sound practices and policies.
As a member company, you would be able to participate in the 2011 Symposium, keeping you and your company ahead of the curve.
Practitioner Meetings to Benchmark with Companies and External Practitioners
These meetings bring together the top technical minds working on natural resource damage assessment and restoration issues for industry -- including company-internal personnel, consultants, outside counsel and other experts -- to discuss, share, and update each other on developments in natural resource damage assessment and restoration practice. These meetings sometimes also include invited government experts and their consultants.
Member companies are invited to attend these meetings.
Extensive Support Documents for Use by Your Company
Since its founding in 1988, the Group has prepared numerous resource documents for industrial company use, including a series of "NRD Advisories for Industry", constantly retooled, expanded and refined in order to reflect current issues important for companies. We have the most comprehensive literature set with over 2000 books, articles and other legal, technical and economic documents.
Member companies have access to these assets.
Facilitating Industry-Wide Coordination to Benefit Your Company
Examples of Group coordination of industry response to, and participation in, government initiatives, as well as communication within industry, include:
- Creation of an Oil Spill Discussion Group focused on natural resource damage assessment issues related to oil spills and involving a diverse set of petroleum companies
- Co-Sponsorship (with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce) of a Special Briefing for industry on the February 2008 US Department of Interior NRDA regulations
- Coordination of industry's response to the US Department of the Interior's proposed natural resource damage assessment regulations promulgated as a result of the May 2007 US DOI NRDAR Advisory Committee Final Report
- Coordination of industry's response to NOAA-proposed NRDA regulations promulgated in response to the court's remand in General Electric Company et al. vs. U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA
Group member companies also participate in ongoing management-level meetings with the US Department of the Interior and others in which candidate activities are identified, aimed at making the natural resource damage assessment process work better and informing possible policy and regulatory changes.
We also maintain a FACA website as a service to the broad industrial community in order to highlight progress in implementing the recommendations of the May 2007 US DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Federal Advisory Committee's Final Report
A NRDAR Practice Exchange website was developed by the Group in cooperation with the Department of Commerce/NOAA, the US Department of the Interior and representatives of the State natural resource trustee community, to facilitate communication and provide a focal point for discussion on cutting edge issues among diverse practitioners engaged in the conduct of natural resource damage assessments and related matters.
By joining the Group, your company immediately strengthens the framework for its activities, has access to information that can be put to immediate use, and benefits from the opportunity to work with other companies having like objectives and needs.
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