Environmental

We have the judgment, creativity, and perspective to weather any legal climate.

Navigating the complex maze of environmental laws is no easy feat. Political discourse, development restrictions, emissions rules, opposing views on climate change, and stringent statutes and regulations impact nearly every business. That’s why clients ranging from sole proprietors to Fortune 50 corporations to industry coalitions rely on Howard & Howard’s environmental practice attorneys to guide them—from the ground up.

Our capabilities for handling environmental and environment-related issues are extensive, both at the state and national levels and across industry sectors, such as automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, energy and utilities, chemical, agriculture, transportation, and government affairs.

We routinely monitor developing environmental issues to anticipate changes in the law and advise clients on cost-effective ways to accommodate those changes and satisfy established statutory and regulatory obligations. We perform audit, compliance, and transactional services that address:

• Environmental risk management including operations compliance analysis
• Indoor air and vapor intrusion evaluation and risk analysis
• Air, water, waste, and wetlands permitting
• Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program guidelines
• Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requirements
• SARA Title III (hazardous substances and toxic chemicals) requirements
• Mining and coal combustion residuals (CCR) permitting
• Record retention planning and reporting
• Environmental management systems
• Brownfield remediation and redevelopment
• Environmental due diligence associated with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, real property transfers and development, and lending transactions

When a crisis occurs, a penalty is imposed, a civil enforcement action is threatened, or criminal charges are brought, our environmental litigation team steps in. We work with you to achieve the best possible results through creative problem-solving, earnest negotiation, and alternative dispute resolution. Our attorneys appear before the Environmental Protection Agency, state equivalents, and state and federal courts across the country on behalf of clients involved in:

• Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) violations
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) challenges
• Chemical exposure lawsuits
• Landfill contamination claims
• Environmental and toxic tort class actions
• Private suits over state-issued permits
• Property damage recovery claims arising from oil and gas exploration
• Criminal grand jury proceedings and environmental crimes

Successfully and strategically traversing intricate environmental matters requires both legal knowledge and business acumen. Regardless of the size and scope of your environmental project, regulatory challenge, or litigation dispute, count on Howard & Howard’s environmental attorneys to guide you at every point along the way.