Plastic Waste and Sustainability

Dr. Rachel A. Meidl, LP.D., CHMM, is the fellow in energy and environment at Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy. She was previously appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Federal Government Senior Executive Service to lead the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as Deputy Associate Administrator, an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C. Meidl led development of domestic and international policy interests and oversaw the department’s delegations to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Transportation of Dangerous Goods Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Her research and teaching portfolio focus on domestic and international policy and law as it relates to imports and exports of hazardous wastes; upstream and end-of-life management of byproducts and wastes; alternative and renewable energy and energy recovery technologies; chemical safety reform; and safety and environmental regulations of the treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation of chemicals within and outside the U.S.

Prior to her public service, Dr. Meidl was the director of regulatory and technical affairs at the American Chemistry Council in Washington, D.C., where she advanced a broad range of regulatory and policy issues that involved enforcement, compliance, investigations and litigation on behalf of the chemical and petrochemical industries. She has more than 20 years of experience in industry, academia, government, politics and international relations, managing the entire life cycle of hazardous waste operations and emergency response to chemical, explosive, radioactive and biohazardous materials.

Dr. Meidl holds a Ph.D. in law and public policy from Northeastern University, a master’s in environmental policy and management with a concentration in environmental chemistry and international law from the University of Denver, a master’s of education in applied science and technology with certifications in chemistry and physics from National University, and bachelor’s degrees in conservation biology and zoology & animal physiology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.