About the 2020 Conference - Managing Stormwater in Washington

2020 Keynote Speakers

Alyssa Barton

Policy Manager, Puget Soundkeeper

Alyssa Barton is an attorney, environmentalist, and outdoor explorer with seven years of legal experience and a history of environmental activism. She handles policy analysis and advocacy for Soundkeeper. In her spare time, Ms. Barton proudly served on the Executive Committee of the Seattle Group of the Sierra Club from 2017 – 2018. She worked as a legal fellow for National Parks Conservation Association from 2014-2015, represented South Florida Wildlands Association and Biscayne Bay Riverkeeper on legal matters between 2013 and 2015.

Dow Constantine

King County Executive

Serving his third-term as King County Executive, Dow Constantine leads one of the largest regional governments in the United States. His priority is that every person be able to thrive, be economically secure, and contribute to the life of our community. He is focused on meeting two of the greatest generational challenges of our time: building equity and opportunity, and confronting climate change. Guiding every initiative is the goal of becoming the most forward looking, best run government in the nation.

2020 Featured Plenary Session

The Impact of Third-Party Lawsuits

Clean Water Act lawsuits brought by public interest groups have become an effective enforcement tool for stormwater permit compliance. Functioning as a supplement to agency enforcement efforts and feared by regulated industry, these citizen suits can lead to unwanted scrutiny and often carry stiffer penalties than an agency enforcement action.

What triggers a third-party lawsuit? How does it begin and what’s its life cycle once it’s in motion?

Join our panel of experts as they shed light on the citizen suit provision of the Clean Water Act; causes and timing; and what you can expect if you find yourself in trouble.