Thank you to our 2024 Speakers

Fred Dolislager has worked for both the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 1998 on the environmental restoration of the Oak Ridge Reservation. Fred began in an environmental laboratory performing TCLP and GC/MS analysis. He then transitioned into site-specific risk assessment and progressed into managing the calculation of environmental screening levels for Superfund. His exposure assessment models have also been adapted to support the assessment of residual chemical warfare agents on surfaces and the radiation risk from sources inside and outside buildings. Most of the screening levels are also provided on the internet in an interactive system that allows users to change toxicity and physical property input parameters and calculate site-specific screening levels or cleanup levels. Notable projects are: The Risk Assessment Information System (RAIS), Regional Screening Levels for Chemical Contaminants at Superfund Sites (RSLs), Vapor Intrusion Screening Level (VISL) Calculator, Preliminary Remediation Goals for Radionuclides for Superfund (PRGs), and Radon Vapor Intrusion Screening Levels (RVISLs).

Ryan Elliott is a partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP and a member of the firm’s Energy and Environmental Group. He counsels clients in all aspects of environmental law, including administrative appeals, litigation, transactional, and federal and state air, water and waste regulatory compliance and permitting matters. Ryan uses a deep understanding of environmental statutes and regulations to provide advice to clients that helps identify environmental risks and minimize liability.

A large part of Ryan’s practice involves advising clients in the investigation and remediation of impacted sites under various regulatory programs, including addressing complex vapor intrusion challenges. Ryan’s experience in this regard includes serving as counsel for RCRA corrective action and CERCLA cleanup sites, negotiating cleanups with state and federal environmental agencies on behalf of property owners and responsible parties in civil and administrative proceedings, and advising developers, sellers, and lenders in transactions involving brownfield sites. Ryan is resolute in his effort to keep abreast of the constantly evolving environmental regulatory scene, and he has presented at several local and national conferences on various aspects of environmental law including vapor intrusion risks, investigations, and remedial strategies.

Matthew Williams is a volatilization to indoor air specialist specializing on mitigation strategies and vapor intrusion, serving as the Volatilization to Indoor Air Specialist at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Remediation and Redevelopment Division (EGLE-RRD). In this role, he spearheads the development and implementation of methodologies to investigate and assess the vapor intrusion pathway, ensuring the safety and well-being of indoor environments.

As a program specialist and technical lead for the Vapor Intrusion Technical Assistance and Support Team, Matt has led numerous stakeholder groups and authored pivotal guidance documents, papers, and standard operating procedures. His expertise extends to conducting extensive trainings and delivering talks on sampling methods, vapor intrusion, petroleum vapor intrusion, mitigation, and indoor air quality both nationally and internationally.

Noteworthy among his contributions is Matt's leadership role in the Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC), where he served as a section leader for the Petroleum Vapor Intrusion: Fundamentals of Screening, Investigation, and Management training in 2014. He also co-led both classroom and internet-based training teams and served as a co-leader for ITRC’s Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Team. Currently, Matt plays a crucial role as a co-leader for ITRC’s ongoing update for vapor intrusion, overseeing a collaborative effort involving nearly 200 professionals across the United States.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Central Michigan University, earned in 1993, laying the foundation for his distinguished career in environmental science and indoor air quality management.

Laura’s practice focuses on advising clients – such as real estate developers, lenders and financial institutions, contractors, and buyers/sellers of contaminated properties – on the environmental aspects of a wide range of real-estate related matters, including:

● Brownfields redevelopment

● Environmental due diligence

● Permitting, enforcement defense, and incident closure

● Participation in hazardous waste, dry-cleaning and petroleum cleanup

programs

● Exposure to contamination

● Above and underground storage tank management

● Vapor intrusion remediation

● Stormwater, wastewater, and wetland management

In addition, Laura regularly counsels manufacturers, financial institutions, and retail industry and corporate clients on a broad range of environmental risk and compliance issues such as environmental due diligence in complex business transactions; regulatory compliance; audits, reporting and self-disclosure; and waste and materials handling and disposal. Specifically, Laura regularly advises investors on environmental issues related to the acquisition of large-scale renewable energy project portfolios.