Practices

Environmental Law

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In this section:

KEEPING YOUR BUSINESS HEALTHY, SAFE, AND PROSPEROUS

Sudden environmental issues can not only affect your bottom line, but left unaddressed can lead to long term and far reaching liability with regulatory agencies and abutters, and other complicated and costly consequences. Our Environmental Practice Group is comprised of experienced environmental and land use attorneys who work diligently to resolve environmental issues while protecting the legal and property rights of our clients, including property owners, developers, real estate investors, landlord and tenant, insurers, contractors, engineers, and public entities. We provide all legal services that may be needed in environmental matters, including counseling, permitting, regulatory compliance, transactional services, due diligence, and litigation including mediation and arbitration of environmental disputes.

WE COVER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY, AND LAND USE REGULATIONS, AT FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS, INCLUDING:

  • Oil and Hazardous Material (OHM)
  • Environmental impact reviews
  • Solid waste
  • Air emissions
  • Indoor air
  • Facility siting
  • Underground storage tanks
  • Asbestos and lead paint
  • Worker safety
  • Wetlands and floodplains
  • Wastewater and stormwater discharges
  • Tidelands
  • Endangered species

GROUP MEMBERS

Group members are available to provide regulatory compliance counseling and audits, provide environmental advice related to SEC compliance, conduct internal investigations, and participate in the planning for and response to governmental inspections and investigations.

Our group’s litigation services encompass both affirmative and defensive actions at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels, and include:

  • Oil and Hazardous Materials under Chapter 21E and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), and CERCLA (cleanup obligations, cost recovery, diminished property value, natural resource damages, or economic loss)
  • Environmental permitting and land use appeals
  • Environmental enforcement actions
  • Penalty and remedial actions under OSHA and other workplace safety regulations
  • Asbestos and other toxic tort claims
  • Landlord/tenant disputes involving alleged health, safety, and environmental risks
  • Insurance coverage

WE REGULARLY REPRESENT PROPERTY OWNERS, BUSINESSES, AND OTHER CLIENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING, COMPLIANCE, REGULATORY, AND TRANSACTIONAL MATTERS, INCLUDING:

  • Obtaining local, state, and federal environmental approvals and permits
  • Advice and representation, concerning real estate environmental issues, including environmental site assessments, implementation of remedies and permanent solutions including Activity and Use Limitations; and the evaluation and monitoring of compliance
  • MEPA and NEPA compliance
  • Brownfields redevelopment
  • Title 5 septic system issues
  • LEED-Certified Building Rating Implementation
  • Due diligence reviews, environmental disclosures, and other assistance in connection with corporate and real estate transactions