April 30, 2014

1:30 – 3:00PM Eastern

Hosted by The Horinko Group in partnership with AlterEcho

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Overview

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a dual threat chemical as it is still used in varied manufacturing, degreasing and cleaning operations and may be the most pervasive and challenging contaminant associated with soil and groundwater pollution at remediation sites across the country.  In late 2011, EPA issued its Final Assessment for TCE in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database, setting a strict inhalation Reference Concentration for Chronic Inhalation Exposure (RfC) of 2 micrograms per cubic meter.  Due to the health effect cited, fetal cardiac malformations, and the implications for short-term exposures, the stakes for TCE have been raised.  Industry experts maintain that the decision to base the RfC on less than chronic exposures has the potential to trigger expanded TCE concerns in both the workplace and for previously closed remediation projects (from indoor air exposures due to the vapor intrusion (VI) pathway).

This webinar will provide an analysis of the issues and science related to the TCE RfC, along with an update on its current regulatory status.  Interim approaches to addressing potential TCE risks in the absence of updated regulations and guidance will also be discussed.  Given the large population of workers who could be impacted (with a focus on women of child-bearing ages) and the number of TCE contaminated remediation sites across the country, decisions concerning updated regulations and guidance on this issue are of critical importance to industry from cost, operations, and health and safety standpoints.

Moderator

• Travis Kline, Senior Toxicologist with AlterEcho Travis Kline has more than 20 years of experience developing site-specific chemical and radionuclide risk assessments and toxicological reviews at federal and state-regulated sites nationwide.  Travis is the co-author of the Alternatives Analysis Report for Bisphenol-A (BPA) in Infant Formula Cans and Baby Food Jar Lids for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the first examination by a state agency of the potential hazards of BPA, as well as investigating currently available and emerging BPA alternatives.  He is a frequent instructor for EPA and state environmental agencies on risk assessment and toxicology, and his research work has appeared in multiple scientific publications.  He was a featured speaker at the 2013 Safer Products Summit, discussing the risks of VOCs in consumer products and VOC alternatives. He is a member of the Society of Toxicology and the Society for Risk Analysis (New England Chapter).  He has an MEM in Toxicology from Duke University and a BA in Developmental Biology/Genetics from Colby College.

June 19, 2013

10:30AM – 12:00PM Eastern

Hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division

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Overview
John Cruden, President of the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), was the featured presenter of the sixth installment in the Mentoring Environment & Energy Together free webinar series.  Mr. Cruden discussed his diverse career path, which began with many years of military assignments before he became Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Mr. Cruden also shared insights about his current role heading up many exciting efforts at ELI.

Moderator

• John Cruden, President of the Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
  John C. Cruden is the fourth President of the Environmental Law Institute (ELI). Mr. Cruden joins ELI from the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, a position he had held since 1995. At the Department of Justice, Mr. Cruden supervised all federal civil environmental litigation involving agencies of the United States, and oversaw the Environmental Enforcement Section and Environmental Defense Section. He has personally litigated and led settlement negotiations in numerous environmental cases, many with reported decisions. He has also led Department of Justice delegations to international environmental conferences. Prior to becoming Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Cruden was Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section.Before joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Cruden was the Chief Legislative Counsel of the Army. After graduating from West Point, Mr. Cruden served in airborne, ranger, and Special Forces units in Germany and Vietnam before attending law school. After working for Justice Stanley Mosk, California Supreme Court, he attended the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Graduate Course where he was named outstanding graduate. His subsequent military assignments include: criminal prosecutor in Germany; Chief of Litigation Branch, Europe; General Counsel, Nuclear Defense Counsel; Staff Judge Advocate; and Professor, Judge Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville, VA. His military education includes being a Fellow, Army War College and Honor Graduate, Command and General Staff College.Mr. Cruden is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, University of Santa Clara (summa cum laude, 2006 Alumni Special Achievement Award), and University of Virginia (honors). He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia and California, a number of federal courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

May 6, 2013

10:30AM – 12:30PM Eastern

Hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division

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Overview
Mr. Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator of U.S. EPA’s Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM), was the featured presenter of the fifth installment in the Mentoring Environment & Energy Together free webinar series. Mr. Hooks discussed his career path, accomplishments, priorities for the Agency and OARM, and offered advice for early career professionals.

Moderator

• Mr. Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator of U.S. EPA’s Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) Craig Hooks currently serves as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) at EPA.  On May 13, 2009, he was nominated by President Obama to serve in this role and was confirmed on August 7, 2009.  In this capacity, Mr. Hooks also serves as EPA’s Senior Accountable Official for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which seeks in part to spur technological advances in science and health and to invest in environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.  EPA manages over $7 billion in projects and programs that will help achieve these goals, offers resources to help other agencies “green” a much larger set of Recovery investments, and administers environmental laws that will govern Recovery activities. OARM is responsible for governing the agency’s resources management including grants and contracts, human resources and facilities.Prior to joining OARM, Mr. Hooks served as the Director of the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) within EPA’s Office of Water.  OWOW promotes a watershed approach to manage, protect, and restore the water resources and aquatic ecosystems of the nation’s marine and fresh waters.  Before that, he served as the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of Environmental Information (OEI).  OEI supports the Agency’s mission to protect public health and the environment by integrating quality environmental information to make it useful for informing decisions, improving management, documenting performances, and measuring success. Before joining OEI, Mr. Hooks served as the OWOW Deputy Director.Prior to joining OWOW, he served as the Director of the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA).  There, he was directly responsible for ensuring that Federal agencies meet multi-billion dollar cleanup commitments which are under EPA’s oversight and comply with environmental law.  Mr. Hooks also served as the Associate Director of the Administration and Resource Management Support Staff within OECA where he managed a wide range of administrative functions.  Mr. Hooks spent two years as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrators for OARM and OECA.  OECA is responsible for managing a national criminal enforcement, regulatory, site remediation, Federal facilities enforcement and compliance assurance programs, and the Federal activities program responsible for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.Before joining EPA, Mr. Hooks worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a physical scientist.  Mr. Hooks received a Masters degree in Oceanography from the Texas A and M University in 1987, and a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Florida in 1982.  Mr. Hooks is married and the father of three girls.

May 2013

Overview

The Horinko Group presents a unique webcast by Steve Hoffmann examining the current state of water investing and the fundamental investment drivers going forward. The webcast reviews the widely stated rationale for investing in water, the framework that has developed to implement water investment strategies, and the inherent disconnects that have emerged. Hoffmann’s discussion of water market drivers goes beyond the traditional talking points associated with a “thematic” investment strategy and presents a renewed case for investing in water.

The rationale for investing in water has proven difficult to translate into an investment strategy. The reasons are complex because water itself is complicated. From a policy perspective, there is a disconnect between the institutionalized management of a resource governed by what is arguably the planet’s most valuable biogeochemical cycle and the obvious supply-demand attributes of water as an economic commodity. From an investment perspective, water does not fit neatly into the asset allocation decision and the readily available investment vehicles have outlasted their effectiveness as a proxy for growth.

Water is in the early stages of a major shift in global socioeconomic status. Water has characteristics of a resource, a public good, and an economic commodity; it can be considered ubiquitous globally, but scarce locally; it is renewable, but can be depletable; it has no substitutes, but can be recycled; it is an economic input, as well as a prerequisite for life and well-being; and while access to healthy drinking water is regarded as a human right, water can also be privately-owned and transferred as a legal property right.

Not only is this mix confounding ecologically, but it also forces the application of disparate and unwieldy economic principles that are called upon to determine the proper role of market mechanisms in advancing sustainable resource solutions. As a result, Hoffmann believes that water investors are neglecting the strategic importance of more nuanced water market drivers such as the institutional economics of water and the rationalization of the global water business.

The webcast details the transitioning institutional structure of water governance and seeks to demonstrate the benefits associated with the emerging application of institutional economics to water resource sustainability policies. Further, the strategic leverage associated with the rationalization of an ultra-fragmented and extremely diverse water business into a global water industry represents a powerful driver. These factors are seen as adding significant value to a long-term investment in water. Hoffmann’s discussion then focuses on extending this rationale into a realistic water investment strategy by identifying sector specific activities that embrace forward-looking water factors.

Featured Presenter

Steve Hoffmann is the Founder and Managing Director of WaterTech Capital LLC, an investment and advisory firm focused exclusively on the global water business. He also serves as Senior Advisor, Water Sector Sustainability and Investment for The Horinko Group. Mr. Hoffmann was one of the earliest financiers to recognize the potential of water as an investment strategy and has experienced the transformation of the water business over his thirty years of academic, professional, and investment activity. As co-founder and Managing Director of Palisades Water Index Associates, he pioneered the development of the first water sector indexes to be tracked by thematic Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Hoffmann is an active member of the Water Environment Federation and the American Water Works Association. He was contributing editor to U.S. Water News’ Water Investment Newsletter for fifteen years and is the author of Planet Water: Investing in the World’s Most Valuable Resource.

Key Insights Shared

• Water is a sector with extremely positive long-term investment fundamentals, but there is a disconnect between the thematic rationale that guides current water investment strategies and the actual dynamics catalyzing the global water business.
• The fundamental market drivers extend beyond a traditional supply and demand analysis to include institutional factors associated with the changing socioeconomic status of water and the strategic importance of water industry rationalization.
• At this juncture, water investment strategies should target specific water business activities rather than broadly defined asset class considerations.
• The framework for an enhanced investment approach is presented based on optimizing exposure to the strategic factors that will shape the economics of the global water business.

Target Audience

The webcast is intended for investors who view water as an important portfolio component, but seek a more comprehensive socioeconomic rationale for allocating funds to the sector. The discussion is of importance to fund/asset managers, wealth advisors, ESG/Impact investors, university endowments, pensions, foundations, private equity groups, and water industry participants.

March 29, 2013

9:30 – 11:30AM Eastern

Hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division

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Overview
The Mentoring Environment & Energy Together (MEET) program hosted its fourth webinar discussion on March 29, featuring Rick Muncrief, Senior Vice President of Operations and Resource Development, Continental Resources. Mr. Muncrief discussed Continental’s forward-looking strategy, anticipated future operations, drilling plans, estimated reserves, future production, estimated capital expenditures, projected costs, and the potential of drilling prospects.

Moderator

• Richard E. Muncrief, Senior Vice President of Operations and Resource Development for Continental Resources, Inc.  Mr. Muncrief joined the company in June, 2009 and has over 30 years of upstream and midstream energy experience. In his current role, Mr. Muncrief is responsible for all engineering and operational aspects of the company. Prior to joining Continental he served as President/COO with Quest Midstream Partners, LP in Oklahoma City and was a member of the Board of Directors. From 1980 to 2007, he served in various technical, operational, and leadership capacities with ConocoPhillips, Inc. and its predecessor company Burlington Resources, Mr. Muncrief earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering Technology from Oklahoma State University in 1980.

February 20, 2013

9:30 – 11:30AM Eastern

Hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division

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Overview

Darren Smith, Environmental Manager with Devon Energy Corporation, is the featured presenter of the third installment in the Mentoring Environment & Energy Together webinar series entitled, Hydraulic Fracturing 102: Addressing Public Concerns Over Hydraulic Fracturing.  In this webinar, Mr. Smith provides industry insight on the challenges and opportunities presented by natural gas extraction.

Moderator

• Darren Smith, Environmental Manager with Devon Energy Corporation Darren Smith began his career in the oil and gas industry as an environmental consultant from 1995 to 1999, providing air quality, remediation, and environmental compliance support to oil and gas E&P companies operating in the Rocky Mountains. He later joined the Santa Fe Snyder Corporation to provide environmental support to Santa Fe’s Rocky Mountain assets as an Environmental Specialist based in Riverton, WY.Mr. Smith joined Devon Energy Corporation in 2000 through the company’s Santa Fe Snyder acquisition and in 2006, accepted the position of Environmental Manager at Devon’s Oklahoma City corporate headquarters. His current role as Policy Manager is to track and influence emerging regulation and design strategy to mitigate business risk and to take advantage of opportunities. Mr. Smith received a B.S. degree with honors in Biology from the University of Western Ontario in 1990 and a M.S. degree in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry from the University of Wyoming in 1995.