Baylor Law School to Host Environmental Law Forum on City of Waco v. CAFO

Speakers from both sides of the recently settled federal lawsuit City of Waco v. Contained Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) will be on the Baylor University campus Tuesday, Dec. 5, for an environmental law forum. The speakers will present diverse perspectives on the subject, including views on the effectiveness (or not) of litigation and regulation to address water quality issues related to CAFOs.

"Each year, we endeavor to select a topic of contemporary significance with interesting and challenging legal issues," said Walt Shelton, an adjunct professor who teaches environmental law, natural resources, and business issues in environmental law at Baylor Law School. "This particular lawsuit is of interest because it is an example of a recent innovative trend of cases utilizing federal and state statutory and common law causes of action to address water quality concerns and CAFOs."

The forum will begin at 3:30 p.m. in room 120 of the Baylor Law School on the Baylor campus. The event should last about 90 minutes. Each speaker will present their perspective on the issue for about 20 minutes and then will take questions, if time allows.

The speakers include Kerry Haliburton, an attorney who represented the City of Waco in the lawsuit; Paul Seals, an attorney who represented the dairy farms; Larry Soward, a TCEQ Commissioner; and Myron Hess, an attorney with the National Wildlife Federation.

"We hope these forums expose students to key environmental law topics and environmental attorneys from a variety of practice contexts," Shelton said. "I expect each speaker to offer a very different and unique prospective on the legal mechanisms that address CAFOs potentially impacting water quality."

For more information, contact Walt Shelton at (254) 710-6009.