Speakers - Environmental Compliance Navigator Conference

Chris Mandel

Mr. Mandel is a certified risk management professional (CRMP) with more than 30 years of executive experience in large global corporate risk management. He was previously named “Risk Manager of the Year” by the Risk Management Society (RIMS), for whom he served as president and 7-year board member. RIMS awarded him a lifetime achievement award (Goodell) in 2016, and he was voted in as a member of Risk Who’s Who (RWW). He is recognized by his peers as a thought leader in risk management and related disciplines, teaching and writing for various organizations including RIMS, George Mason University, and ICCIE. Mr. Mandel has numerous certifications and designations including CPCU, ARME, RIMS-CRMP, AIC, and DCRO.

As Chief Risk Officer at USAA, he pioneered the development of the advanced risk management strategy, where S&P rated USAA as “excellent” and a “leader in Enterprise Risk Management” for five consecutive years during his tenure. His career also included risk related leadership roles at Liberty Mutual, Marsh, Verizon, American National Red Cross, YUM Brands, and PepsiCo. He was the SVP, Strategic Solutions for Sedgwick and the Founding Director of the Sedgwick Institute.

Chris Mandel provides risk consulting and services as assistant professor teaching enterprise risk management in the worldwide college of business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Dannelle Belhateche

Ms. Belhateche is a professional engineer with more than 35 years of consulting, operational, and engineering experience in the environmental field, with a major focus on providing industrial multi-media environmental compliance support to facility personnel. She has performed projects for diverse industrial facilities, such as petroleum refineries, petrochemical and plastics manufacturing facilities, upstream and offshore oil and gas exploration and production sites, power generation plants, metal forging and electroplating plants and other manufacturing plants. She has led numerous multi-media compliance audits at industrial facilities to assess compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations and she has prepared hundreds of spill response plans for these types of facilities. Ms. Belhateche is the vice president and environmental technical director for compliance and permitting at Braun Intertec, an environmental consulting firm.

Nelson Brooks

Nelson Brooks is a registered professional engineer and a professional geologist with more than 25 years of experience in environmental compliance, engineering design/permitting, environmental and hazardous waste site investigations and assessments. He is certified as an Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) Inspector by the Steel Tank Institute and Underground Tank Inspector by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Nelson designs, permits, inspects, and provides on-call engineering support for aboveground and underground storage tanks nationwide, but primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region. His experience includes operation, performance, and regulatory compliance. Nelson has completed a multitude of fuel tank system designs ranging from 300-gallon diesel fuel emergency generator systems to 50,000-gallon boiler fuel systems for both public and private clients.

Mr. Brooks currently serves as Mid-Atlantic Tank Program Manager with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC., an environmental consulting firm that provides environmental, compliance, natural resources, and infrastructure engineering and management solutions to a wide range of public and private sector clients.

Christine Jochim

Christine Jochim is a partner in the Environment, Land, and Natural Resources group of K&L Gates LLP. With two decades of legal and public policy experience, Christine focuses her practice primarily on the defense of complex enforcement actions involving alleged violations of state and federal environmental, health, and safety regulations. Christine routinely advises clients on compliance with environmental laws and regulations and coordinates closely with the firm’s Policy and Regulatory Group on legislative and regulatory developments. While serving in both in-house and private practice roles, Christine has resolved environmental and other enforcement actions taken by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Interior, and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, among other regulatory agencies at both the state and federal levels. She represents domestic and international clients in a range of legal forums, including state and federal courts, administrative tribunals, regulatory hearings, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Christine returned to the firm in early 2024 after serving in-house as senior environmental counsel to a multinational energy company.

Hallie Tucker

Hallie Tucker is a Compliance Services Leader at Dakota Software with over two decades of experience in EHS compliance. She has a background in learning and development, instructional design, project management, and EHS management system administration. Hallie combines hands-on expertise in regulatory compliance, process optimization, and data analysis with a talent for translating complex requirements into actionable programs. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences from Texas A&M University and certifications in Process Safety Management and Hazardous Waste Management.

Nathan Eklund

Nathan Eklund currently serves as the PFAS Practice Leader, Eastern US for SGS North America. He is responsible for the growth and development of the PFAS analytical testing markets and top line sales through business development efforts and relationship building with key accounts. Mr. Eklund has over 29 years of professional experience as an emerging contaminant specialist, national sales director, executive sales director, program manager, project manager, and hydrogeologist for the environmental consulting and environmental testing industries

Mr. Eklund has technical professional environmental consulting experience across all environmental disciplines including environmental testing and chemistry, site investigations, remediation, environmental management information systems (EMIS), water resources, munitions response, compliance, plans and permitting, and site assessments. Mr. Eklund has extensive experience in emerging contaminant analytical testing including specialty analytical methods such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dioxin/furans, PCB congeners, high-resolution pesticides, and brominated fire retardants.

Mark Howard

Mr. Howard retired in 2026 from EPA after 16 years as the National Oil Spill Prevention Program Manager, Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Subject Matter Expert, and lead oil program prevention trainer for the Agency's oil program inspectors/enforcement staff and on-scene coordinators (OSCs). He previously served 10 years with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) and Virginia State Water Control Board (SWCB), where he served as an oil/chemical incident coordinator/responder and aboveground storage tank inspector/program manger.

Mark is the founder of Ounce of Prevention Consulting, providing oil spill prevention, 40 CFR 112 compliance support, training, facility audits, inspection/case support, and expert witness services.

Tucker J. Mendoza

Tucker J. Mendoza, the self-proclaimed SpillWarrior, is a third-generation fisherman with more than 37 years of frontline experience in oil spill response, emergency management, and environmental recovery. Raised along the Louisiana Gulf Coast and shaped by real-world disasters worldwide, he brings a rare practitioner perspective rooted in hands-on field operations, responder safety, and environmental stewardship. Mr. Mendoza has responded to some of the most significant environmental and industrial incidents in modern history, including the Exxon Valdez, Mega Borg, American Trader, MV Westchester, and the Gulf BP oil well explosion. His experience spans maritime, pipeline, barge, rail, chemical, and industrial incidents, including the PEPCO pipeline spill, Morris J. Berman barge wreck, Shell refinery explosion, San Jacinto River Basin spill and fire, Buffalo 292 and 86 barge wrecks, the Kirby Inland Marine barge wreck, the ITC chemical incident, and multiple train derailments. He has also supported large-scale and community-level responses following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Harvey, and Ike across the United States and internationally.

Recognized globally as a thought leader, trainer, and advisor, Mendoza regularly advises national and international government officials, policymakers, industry leaders, and youth organizations in highly impacted regions on accountable response practices, responder safety, and long-term environmental recovery. Mr. Mendoza is the Founder of the Spill Response Association and the Global 21 Training & Newsletter, and a co-creator of the International Spill Response Summit series.

Gary E. Steinbauer

Gary Steinbauer is an environmental attorney and shareholder in the Environmental Group at Babst Calland, where he provides strategic counsel to clients across a wide range of industrial sectors on environmental regulatory compliance, permitting, and enforcement matters. He advises companies on complex issues arising under major federal and state environmental programs, devoting a significant portion of his practice to matters involving air emissions and wastewater discharges.

Prior to joining Babst Calland, Gary served as an attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Region 5, where he focused on enforcement, permitting, and regulatory matters under key environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he served as the Managing Editor of the Law Review, Gary served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Patrick J. Duggan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Navigating the Federal–State Dynamic in Air Permitting and Enforcement: Practical Strategies and Tips for EHS Professionals

Air emissions permitting and enforcement actions often require facilities to navigate complex and sometimes disjointed relationships between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and delegated state or local air permitting and enforcement authorities. Differences in regulatory interpretation, permitting timelines, public participation requirements, and enforcement priorities can create uncertainty and operational risk for regulated entities—particularly when permits are modified, renewed, or challenged and when agencies’ policy priorities conflict.

In this session, Gary Steinbauer will explore how EPA and state air agencies interact under the Clean Air Act, where points of friction commonly arise, and how those challenges can impact facility operations and compliance obligations. Drawing on real-world permitting and enforcement experience, the presentation will highlight common pitfalls EHS managers encounter in air permitting and enforcement, including coordination issues with regulatory authorities, evolving regulatory requirements, and compliance vulnerabilities.

The session will conclude with practical strategies EHS professionals can use to better manage air permits, communicate effectively with federal, state, and local regulators, and proactively reduce air-related compliance risk.

Spill Response Isn’t What You Think: Hidden Risks for EHS Managers

The spill response industry has undergone significant change in recent years—changes that have quietly increased risk for environmental compliance managers and the organizations they support. Yet many of these shifts remain poorly understood until a real incident exposes gaps in preparedness, capability, or expectations.

This session offers a candid, practitioner-level look at today’s spill response landscape. Mr. Mendoza will examine responder competency, contracting and readiness limitations, community engagement challenges, and emerging “next-generation” response practices. The discussion will also clarify the fundamental operational and regulatory differences between oil spill response and chemical spill response—an area that continues to create confusion and compliance risk.

Finally, the session will make the case for moving the industry beyond an OPA 90–era mindset toward a modern, OPA 26–era spill response framework. Attendees will gain practical guidance on how to evaluate spill response organizations more effectively, ask the right questions before an incident occurs, and better ensure their facilities are truly prepared for worst-case scenarios.

Audits & Inspections: Complementary Tools for Stronger Environmental Compliance

Audits and inspections are distinct but complementary processes that together drive effective environmental compliance. This session explores their differences in scope, frequency, and purpose, and demonstrates how top-down audits and bottom-up inspections provide a holistic view of performance. Attendees will learn how to leverage PDCA, checklists, and EHS management systems to strengthen compliance programs and improve safety outcomes, with insights on digital tools that streamline and standardize these activities.

Craig Schwarze

Craig Schwarze is an environmental regulatory compliance expert with more than 30 years of hands-on experience assisting clients to achieve and maintain compliance nationwide. He has provided environmental compliance support to more than 400 private companies and Federal agencies, ranging from steel mills to the US Army, and has led environmental compliance assistance audits for more than 350 facilities in 42 states, and has been approved by multiple EPA regions, the Department of Justice, and several state environmental departments as a third-party compliance evaluator. Mr. Schwarze is the President of Aarcher Institute and has served as an instructor since 2005, helping to deliver training to more than 9,000 students. He has been awarded a Certified Instructional Trainer for Environmental, Health, and Safety (CIT) certification based on this experience and knowledge of adult education methods.

Twenty Years in the Tank: The Hidden Lifecycle of Fuel Storage Infrastructure

Fuel storage tank systems are commonly used to store fuel for emergency generators, backup feed for boilers, and for vehicle and aircraft fueling. Infrastructure maintenance, capital planning, and environmental compliance go hand in hand in our fast-paced world. In general, fuel storage tanks have four (4) key stages: planning and design, acquisition and installation, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning and replacement. These fuel systems, like other mechanical infrastructures, have estimated service lives based on all four primary stages of their life cycles. If the systems are designed and installed properly, the longest phase is the operation and maintenance portion of their lives. During this portion of their life (often between 20 and 40 years), regular inspections and testing, preventative maintenance, ongoing repairs, and continuous compliance monitoring and recordkeeping can help prolong their service life. This talk will address the four primary stages of the AST lifecycle and how environmental managers can successfully develop a capital improvement plan.

From Regulation to Real-World Risk: Strengthening Compliance in a Shifting Landscape

This presentation will explore the evolving landscape of environmental regulation and enforcement, highlighting federal and state trends, emerging priorities, and practical strategies for compliance professionals.

We will begin by examining the current landscape of enforcement under key statutes such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, alongside recent developments in environmental justice requirements at the state level. Case studies will illustrate how enforcement actions—ranging from civil penalties to criminal prosecutions—are shaping industry behavior and influencing compliance programs. We will also discuss proactive measures organizations can adopt to mitigate risk and ensure readiness. Topics include:

Building robust internal compliance frameworks aligned with federal and state mandates.
Leveraging environmental audits and permitting strategies to anticipate enforcement triggers.
Integrating environmental justice considerations into project planning and permitting.
Preparing for heightened scrutiny of emerging issues such as PFAS.

Finally, we will discuss practical engagement with regulators and stakeholders, emphasizing transparency, documentation, and adaptive compliance strategies in an era of shifting political and regulatory priorities.

Participants will leave with actionable insights to strengthen compliance programs, reduce liability exposure, and foster a culture of environmental stewardship.

Do You Really Need an SPCC Plan? Regulatory Pathways to Opting Out

Many facilities maintain and implement SPCC plans simply because “that’s just how it’s always been done.” EPA regulations allow certain facilities to exit the SPCC program altogether, if the owner/operator understands intricacies of how applicability is determined. The objective of this session is to provide tools when evaluating a facility’s SPCC applicability.

Presented by the former EPA national SPCC program and SPCC inspector SME, this session delivers a frank discussion of common misconceptions, regulatory off-ramps and interpretations which may support a factual record-based argument that an SPCC Plan is not required. The session is designed for attendees with a general SPCC knowledge base. The session will not tackle the site-specific determinations of WOTUS jurisdiction, but you will leave this session with new tools for evaluating applicability. Environmental managers, engineers, consultants, and SPCC plan developers will find this presentation practical and useful. While the "rule is the rule," we will scrutinize regulatory applicability from a potentially new paradigm.

Environmental Compliance as a Critical Component of Enterprise Risk Management

Managing risks has a long and storied history with periods of major moves forward in terms of sophistication and impact. The key stakeholders in risk management, which includes environmental compliance professionals, have over time seen varying degrees of interest in their contributions to the overall risk strategy, for better or for worse. Before the turn of the century, alignment among and understanding between these stakeholders and risk leaders was often weak at best and completely disconnected at worst. Our keynote speaker will outline how and why this work must be done to both protect and enhance organizational assets and explain how and why environmental compliance professionals have a significant role to play in managing the organizational risk profile with excellence.

Beyond the Buzzword: Navigating the New Era of PFAS Compliance in Industrial Stormwater and Wastewater Permitting

For decades, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were viewed as miracle chemicals for their durability and resistance to heat, oil, and water. Today, they represent one of the most significant regulatory disruptions in modern Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) management. As the US EPA and state agencies pivot from research to enforcement, facility managers are facing an unprecedented shift in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and industrial pretreatment permits.

This presentation provides an overview for EHS and facility managers to navigate the rapidly evolving PFAS landscape. We will move beyond the general science of "forever chemicals" and include operational risks mentioned in the proposed 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) and emerging wastewater pretreatment standards. With state and federal regulators moving toward part-per-trillion (ppt) detection limits (EPA Method 1633), the margin for error is disappearing.

Lessons Learned and New Perspectives in Chemical Management

This presentation will focus on real-life examples of chemical accidents and practical lessons learned relating to chemical management, particularly as they pertain to facility-level environmental compliance management, based on the investigations of CSB. Stay tuned for more details.

What You Might Have Wrong About SPCC

For decades, facility owners and/or operators have misunderstood certain SPCC rule requirements when both developing and implementing plans, creating costly compliance challenges that could have been avoided or in some case may result in oil discharges from the facility. This presentation will present a series of real-life non-compliance situations illustrating the finer points of SPCC rule's regulatory requirements and how SPCC inspectors might interpret compliance in the field, helping environmental managers avoid problems at their own facilities.

The Clean Water Act Hazardous Substances Facility Response Plan – Are You Ready?

The new Clean Water Act (CWA) Hazardous Substances Facility Response Plan (FRP) rule was promulgated on March 28, 2024, and is found at new section 40 CFR 118. Due to the complexity of developing appropriate response plans, facilities should make their determination of the applicability of the new rule at least six months prior to the deadline to submit their FRP to the EPA by June 1, 2027. The rule expands facility response planning to the list of 296 CWA hazardous substances found in 40 CFR 116.4, which includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), organic and inorganic toxic chemicals, acids and bases and water treatment chemicals to name a few. There are significant differences between the CWA FRP and the current FRP required under the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation found in Subpart D at 40 CFR 112.20. Due to the wide variety of physical and chemical properties of CWA hazardous substances, development of appropriate release response activities will be complex, may include dispersion modeling and planning for overland travel and damage to public areas such as docks, parks, recreational areas and other public spaces. This talk will discuss the rule requirements for FRP development, the challenges associated with developing appropriate response actions for different classes of chemicals, and strategies for complying with the new rule.

Lessons and Perspectives From Environmental Regulatory Enforcement Agencies

Environmental compliance managers understand the need to achieve and maintain environmental compliance for their organizations, and the risk of potential enforcement actions where compliance falls short. A look at the regulated community through the eyes of state and federal environmental agencies can add a new perspective to their work. Stay tuned for more details.

Conference Speakers

Our Speakers

Chris Mandel

Dannelle Belhateche

Nelson Brooks

Christine Jochim

Nathan Eklund

Hallie Tucker

Mark Howard

Tucker J. Mendoza

Gary E. Steinbauer

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Topic Categories

Environmental Compliance Strategies

Regulatory Enforcement

Risk Management

Regulatory

Contaminants

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Chris Mandel

Dannelle Belhateche

Nelson Brooks

Christine Jochim

Hallie Tucker

Nathan Eklund

Mark Howard

Tucker J. Mendoza

Gary E. Steinbauer

Craig Schwarze