Walter Mugdan

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Environmental Planning & Protection

Walter Mugdan has served since 2002 as Director of the Division of Environmental Planning & Protection for Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he manages a staff of nearly 200 engineers, scientists and planners.  The Division is responsible for the air, water, hazardous waste, environmental assessment and pollution prevention programs in the region (which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).  Previously, Mr. Mugdan served as Regional Counsel for EPA Region 2 since 1995, where he headed a staff of about 80 attorneys.  Prior to that he served as Deputy Regional Counsel for ten years.  He joined EPA Region 2 in 1975 as a staff attorney, and subsequently served in various supervisory positions in the Office of Regional Counsel, including as Chief of units responsible for the Clean Air Act, Superfund, RCRA, TSCA and FIFRA. 

In 1998 Mr. Mugdan spent eight months on a detail as Director of Region 2's Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance, heading the Region’s staff of field inspectors and technical enforcement personnel.

Mr. Mugdan has authored numerous articles on environmental law and regulation. He is a frequent speaker and lecturer on these subjects.  From 1991 to 1997 he was an Adjunct Professor at Pace University Law School, where he taught a course on Superfund law; and since 1992 Mr. Mugdan has been the Director of the U.S. EPA’s annual Trial Advocacy Institute.

In 2006-2007, Mr. Mugdan served a one-year term as Chair of the Environmental Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, having served for the previous four years in the Section=s other officer positions B First and Second Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary.  He has served as Co-Chair of the Section’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Committee (1985-1993); Co-Chair of the Hazardous Site Remediation Committee (1993-2002); Chair of the Nominating Committee (1987, 1990 and 2002); and Chair of the Bylaws Revision Committee (2007).. 

Mr. Mugdan earned his J.D. (1975) and his B.A. (1972) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.