Environmental

Summit Law enjoys a nationwide reputation for environmental expertise, particularly as trial attorneys and litigators. Our environmental and land use attorneys lead clients through the maze of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations. We are ahead of the curve in being knowledgeable regarding new federal and state environmental laws including, for example, those relating to newly regulated contaminants such as PFAS/PFOS and other new compliance and liability risks.

Our private sector clients range from closely held companies to Fortune 500 corporations in the solid waste, chemical, oil and gas, mining, timber, manufacturing, railroad, and fisheries industries. We also serve public sector entities such as ports and municipalities as well as federal contractors and nonprofits.

We have particularly deep experience in the following areas:

Contaminated site investigation and remediation.  Our Environmental attorneys have advised on investigation and remediation at myriad of contaminated properties and waterways, including a majority of the major Superfund sites in the Pacific Northwest. We help clients navigate the regulatory and business issues associated with site investigation and remediation pursuant to federal and state laws and regulations, including addressing:

• Cost recovery
• Contribution matters
• OSHA and other workplace safety related regulations
• CERCLA and MTCA remedial action and RCRA and related state corrective action

Our Environmental team has unique and extensive expertise advising on contamination matters involving combinations of hazardous and radioactive waste.

Permitting, regulatory compliance, and enforcement defense.  Our Environmental team advises on:

• Solid and hazardous waste regulation and permitting
• Radioactive waste regulation and permitting, including for mixed hazardous and radioactive wastes
• Air emissions permitting, compliance, and enforcement
• Natural resource damage assessments
• Water quality, including industrial and municipal wastewater discharge permits and Clean Water Act enforcement
• EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state wetlands regulation
• Zoning and permitting for real estate development

Environmental litigation.  Nationally recognized for the results achieved in environmental litigation by its team of trial lawyers and litigators, Summit Law’s Environmental team has represented clients in numerous U.S. district courts and in federal and state appellate courts in disputes involving:

• Natural resources damages
• CERCLA response actions, cost-recovery, and contribution
• Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA)
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Federal and state agency actions
• Complex multiparty arbitrations and mediations
• Environmental insurance coverage actions

Transactions and project development.  We advise on environmental due diligence for transactions involving transfers and development of real estate as well as permitting for land use and development.

Indian country.  We have unique and extensive experience advising on environmental matters where the interests of Indian tribes are at stake, providing counsel on a full range of issues for sites located within Indian reservations including establishing the extent of tribal jurisdiction and navigating the complex interaction of tribal and federal environmental laws.