Panelists discuss organizations' approach to disaster preparedness/response, lessons from the Texas power crisis, abating future disasters.
Natural disasters have destroyed and portend to continually threaten our lives—our very existence-- and our environment. In recent times, we have seen how wildfires have caused the loss of homes, trees, and wildlife, and have also triggered a domino effect of power outages, wreaking havoc on our public infrastructure and threatening our water quality and water supply. As wildfires become more frequent in a warming world, we become increasingly reliant upon our government and the federal, state, and local levels to prepare for and promptly respond to disasters and their unpredictable effects.
This event will include brief introductions by our panelists including their respective contributions to natural disaster preparedness at individual, local, and state- and region-wide levels, followed by a general panel discussion on wildfire and its downstream effects, and a 30-minute Q&A time for audience questions/comments.
The event will be Friday July 23, 2021, from 12:00 - 1:30 PM PDT.
Panelist Bios:
Eileen M. White, P.E. – East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
Eileen M. White is currently the Director of Wastewater for the East Bay Municipal Utility District (District) in Oakland, California, which supplies water to approximately 1.4 million people and wastewater services to about 740,000 people. Eileen has more than 20 years of engineering experience in the wastewater, water, and power industries. As the Director of Wastewater, she is responsible for leading the Wastewater Department which includes planning, organizing, and leading the engineering, operations, and maintenance of the wastewater system to ensure efficient operations that meet all regulations. She also manages the lab which provides analytical support for both wastewater and water operations. Prior to her appointment as the Director of Wastewater, Eileen was the Manager of Water Operations and the Chief Operator for the District for 17 years where she was responsible for the District's extensive raw water transmission system, water treatment plants, and distribution system. Before her appointment as the Manager of Water Operations, she was responsible for managing the District's $189 million Seismic Improvement Program, including its short-term and long-range planning. Prior to joining the District, she was a Design Engineer for PG&E. Eileen has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from U.C. Berkeley, is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California, and has a Water Distribution Operator Grade 5 certificate.
Peggy Otum - WilmerHale
Peggy Otum brings more than 18 years of diverse experience advising large corporations, public companies, and universities on a range of environmental issues, with a primary emphasis on matters involving compliance, risk management, enforcement defense, and litigation. With the Biden Administration’s focus on climate and environmental justice, Ms. Otum is actively advising clients as they navigate complex legal and business issues at the intersection of environmental protection, racial equity, and corporate disclosures.
Ms. Otum routinely advises clients in response to investigations by, or inquiries from, a range of federal and state regulators, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (better known as Cal/OSHA), and the California Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, Ms. Otum advises companies on environmental liabilities as they arise in multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions and provides business and regulatory counseling on environmental risk and regulatory trends to private equity firms and investors.
As a seasoned environmental lawyer, Ms. Otum has played key roles in two of the past decade’s largest environmental case, and has been consistently ranked by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500, among others, for her environmental expertise.
Edith Hannigan - California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Edith Hannigan is the Land Use Planning Program Manager at the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. She manages the Board’s programs relating to land use planning in the wildland-urban interface, including general plan safety element reviews, developing road standards for fire equipment access, and defensible space and vegetation management. Edith works closely with the CAL FIRE land use planning program to implement subdivision safety surveys and develop recommendations to improve fire safety for new and existing communities. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Planning from the University of Southern California.