Our attorneys regularly advise clients concerning their regulatory compliance obligations and defend them in enforcement proceedings under the full range of US environmental laws dealing with hazardous wastes, clean air and clean water issues, the regulation of commercial chemicals, consumer products including antimicrobials and pesticides, groundwater protection and drinking water concerns, hazard communication, "right-to-know" disclosure duties, and financial or release reporting issues. Clients frequently turn to us when the most difficult, interpretive, novel, or costly regulatory questions confront them.
Our regulatory experience covers all the major US federal statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, Endangered Species Act, CERCLA, RCRA, TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA, HMTA, NEPA, MPRSA, OSHA, and SMCRA, as well as many comparable state regulatory programs. We assist in-house counsel and regulatory affairs officials in developing and implementing company compliance programs and management systems, including, as appropriate, "self-audits" and other types of internal reviews. Our attorneys frequently team with in-house staff, serving in an advisory capacity to resolve questions not previously faced by the client.
Our lawyers also routinely represent clients who need to defend their business and products in government-initiated compliance actions. We represent clients before the EPA and other government agencies in seeking and securing regulatory interpretations and clarifications, commenting upon proposed rulemakings, preparing testimony for public meetings, defending products and processes from various threats, filing judicial challenges to final rules, and preparing legislative strategies or providing representation on key issues before Congress and state legislatures. Given the complexities of these legal requirements, and the need to apply them appropriately in widely varying circumstances, our experience in multiple industries and states over a period of many years can be a valuable asset to clients with multijurisdictional concerns in the regulatory counseling area.
The firm also has special experience in obtaining environmental permits and approvals for important and sometimes controversial projects, ranging from real estate development in resort communities to the remediation of nuclear facilities.