Melisa F. Pollak
Contact Information / Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs301 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55455 / Voice:612-625-3046
Fax:612-625-3513
E-mail:
Present Position / Humphrey School of Public Affairs: Minneapolis, MN
Research Fellow, Center for Science Technology and Public Policy 2008 - Present
Education / University of Minnesota: Minneapolis, MN
M.S., Science Technology and Environmental Policy June 2008
University of Minnesota: Minneapolis, MN
B.S., Geophysics, with distinction December 1983
Peer Reviewed Papers / Pollak, M.F., Johnson, S.J., & Vajjhala, S. (in press) “Competing Visions for Geologic Storage Policy in the U.S.” Global Environmental Change.
Pollak, M. F., & Wilson, E. J. (2009). “Regulating geologic sequestration in the US: Early rules take divergent approaches.” Environmental Science and Technology, 43(9), 3035-3041.
Pollak, M. F., & Wilson, E. J. (2009). “Risk governance for geological storage of CO2 under the Clean Development Mechanism.” Climate Policy, 9(1), 71-87.
Wilson, E. J., Friedmann, S. J., & Pollak, M. F. (2007). “Research for Deployment: Incorporating Risk, Regulation, and Liability for Carbon Capture and Sequestration.” Environmental Science & Technology, 41(17), 5945-5952.
Manuscripts in Preparation / Pollak, M.F., McCoy, S.T. “Monitoring for Greenhouse Gas Accounting at Geologic Sequestration Sites: Technical and Policy Analysis” Tenth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, September 2010. (paper accepted)
McCoy, S.T., Pollak, M.F. and Jarmarillo, P. “Geologic Sequestration through EOR: Policy and Regulatory Considerations for Greenhouse Gas Accounting” Tenth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, September 2010. (paper accepted)
Conference Papers & Presentations / “State Regulation of Geologic Sequestration: 2010 Update” Ninth Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration. Pittsburgh, PA, May 10-13, 2010. Oral Presentation.
Pollak, M. F., Johnson, J. A., & Wilson, E. J. (2009). “The geography of CCS regulatory development in the U.S.” Energy Procedia, 1(1), 4543-4550.
“Criteria and methods to select and monitor geologic sequestration sites: a review of recent regulatory proposals” Seventh Annual Conference on Carbon Capture and Sequestration. Pittsburgh, PA. May 6-8, 2008. Poster presentation
“How will the risks of CCS be managed under the Clean Development Mechanism?” Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting, San Antonio TX. December 11-13, 2007. Oral Presentation
Invited Presentations / “Key Regulatory Issues for Geologic Sequestration: Federal Context” Southern Company State Action Strategy Meeting, May 7, 2010.
“Removing the Barriers to Large-Scale Deployment of CCS in the U.S. ” Tsinghua University. April 22, 2010.
“Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Importance of State Policy” Tsinghua University, Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance. April 22, 2010.
“State Legislative and Regulatory Actions: Review, Motivations, and Effect on Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide” with S.T. McCoy (presenter), and R. L. Gresham. California Carbon Capture and Storage Review Panel Meeting. April 22, 2010.
“CCS Policy” Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership Annual Meeting, Spokane WA, October 28, 2008.
“Geologic Carbon Sequestration Research” American Water Works Association webcast, Carbon Sequestration Rule: How Will It Affect Our Water Supply? October 1, 2008.
Reports / Pollak, M.F., & McCoy, S.T. (2010) “CCSReg Policy Brief: Carbon Dioxide Accounting in Carbon Capture and Sequestration”. Available Online at http://www.ccsreg.org/pdf/GHG%20Accounting%20Policy%20Brief_01042010.pdf
Pollak, M.F., McCoy, S.T., & Wilson, E.J. (2009) “CCSReg Policy Brief: Comprehensive Regulation of Geologic Sequestration”. Available online at http://www.ccsreg.org/pdf/ComprehensiveReg_07202009.pdf
Wilson, E. J., & Pollak, M. F. (2008). “IRGC policy brief: Regulating Carbon Capture and Storage.” International Risk Governance Council. Available online at http://www.irgc.org/IMG/pdf/Policy_Brief_CCS.pdf
Web Sites / State Policy on CCS. www.ccsreg.org/bills.php
Research Projects / Research Fellow. Pumped Hydro Energy Storage on the Mesabi Iron Range. Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment. Donald Fosnacht and Elizabeth Wilson co-PIs. Starts July 2010.
· Identify socio-political factors that could affect deployment, including key stakeholders and their perception of the technology.
· Determine policy implications of pumped hydro energy storage and identify legal or regulatory barriers to implementation
Research Fellow. Basin-Scale Leakage Risks from Geologic Carbon Sequestration: Impact on CCS Energy Market Competitiveness. National Energy Technology Laboratory. Catherine Peters, PI. October 2009 to present.
· Supervise research assistants doing legal research and GIS modeling.
· Integrate geological and regulatory information into project findings.
Research Fellow. Combining Geothermal Energy Extraction and CO2 Sequestration to Produce Clean, Renewable Caron-Negative Electricity. Minnesota Department of Commerce. Martin Saar, Thomas Kuehn and Elizabeth Wilson co-PIs. July 2009 to present
· Analysis of existing and evolving policy with the potential to influence deployment of the proposed system.
· Integrate regulatory and policy analysis into project findings.
Project Manager. State Climate Action Planning: Geography of Regional and National Climate and Renewable Energy Policy. Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment. Elizabeth Wilson, PI. June 2009 to present.
· Wrote grant proposal, supervised four Research Assistants, and managed $69,100 budget
· Oversaw comparative analysis, internet survey, state case studies, and report preparation.
Researcher. Regulation of Deep Geologic Sequestration. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Elizabeth Wilson, PI. January 2007 to present.
· Researched and wrote policy briefs and model legislation
· Participated in Washington D.C. briefings for congressional and agency staff
· Created searchable database of state policies on geologic sequestration
Professional Experience / Hydrogeologist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, MN, 1989 to 1991
· Oversaw cleanups of contaminated soil and groundwater at gas stations
· Streamlined relationship between regulators and regulatees
Geologist, Barr Engineering Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1985 to 1989
· Conducted field work, including soil borings, mapping, and geophysical surveys
· Planned and conducted geologic site characterizations
· Supervised construction of monitoring and cleanup systems
Peer-Review Activities / Reviewer for Environmental Science and Technology
Awards / Society for Risk Analysis student travel award, December 2007
Francis Humphrey Howard tuition scholarship, 2006-2007 academic year
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