Polluters Behind Bars:
When does polluting become criminal rather than civil?
Presented by the Texas A&M Law Program in Natural Resources Systems and the Texas A&M Law Criminal Law Program
Guest Lecturer:
Russell Murdock, Regional Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
This presentation will explore the criminal provisions of environmental laws and discuss some real world cases that demonstrate the need for criminal enforcement.
March 22, 2018
12:00 p.m.
Conference Center
Lunch provided by the Texas A&M Law Natural Resources Systems Program
Russell Murdock has been an attorney with the Criminal Enforcement section of the office of Regional Counsel since 2014. In his current position, Russell assists special agents in developing criminal cases under all federal environmental statutes as well as under the criminal provisions of Title 18 of the United States Code. He also provides legal guidance to prosecutors from the various U.S. Attorneys’ offices as they prosecute their relevant cases, and serves as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Texas prosecuting environmental cases. Previously, Russell served in the Water Enforcement Branch where he worked under the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. During his seven years at EPA, Russell has served as sole counsel in a full-day administrative hearing, filed multiple briefs before the Environmental Appeals Board, and successfully worked with the Department of Justice to defend against one of the first Administrative Procedure Act challenges filed following the Supreme Court’s 2012 Sackett decision. Prior to arriving at EPA, Russell attended the University of Texas School of Law where he graduated with honors and published a paper entitled “The State of CO2 Sequestration in the State of Texas.” Russell obtained his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.