Our Practice

Environmental Regulatory and Litigation

Practice Contact: Anne Crochet
anne.crochet@taylorporter.com
225.381.0249





Taylor Porter environmental lawyers have the legal, technical and practical experience to service the environmental needs of business and industry in all media (air, water and waste), in all facets (regulatory, remediation, litigation, property transactions, land use and zoning, contracts and root cause investigations), and in all stages of the process (legislative, regulatory, administrative and litigation). We do so in an effective, creative and efficient manner with the highest quality of scholarship, advocacy, ethics and professionalism.

Having varied and in-depth experience in all areas of environmental permitting, members of our practice group obtain authorizations needed by facilities for development construction, operation, change and expansion.  We handle significant litigation arising out of the issuance or denial of environmental permits including solid waste, hazardous waste, air, water and radiation permits as well as permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and others.  We tackle issues arising under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, as well as others.  We have vast experience with contested permits and are particularly poised to establish complete and effective administrative records in favor of our clients, effectively respond to public comments, communicate with agency administrators as well as stakeholders, represent clients at public hearings, and defend permit appeals and related third party litigation - from the beginning of the permitting process through the final appeal process in both administrative and judicial forums and at state and federal levels.

We also defend clients in enforcement actions brought by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Louisiana State Police, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and other regulatory agencies both in administrative and judicial settings.  We have handled numerous contested administrative hearings and have achieved successful results that have been upheld by the district and appellate courts.  When appropriate, we have successfully negotiated consent decrees and/or cooperative agreements to resolve disputes with agencies.

Members of our group also defend citizen suits, class action and multi-party litigation  and/or prosecute litigation for owners and operators of Superfund sites, chemical manufacturing plants, solid waste landfills, hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities and others.  Defense of these lawsuits includes not only the defense of claims for personal injury, property damage, and trespass but also the defense of assertions of violations of environmental law and regulations and demands for remediation.  We interface with regulatory agencies, including the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Health and others, as appropriate, during the course of litigation to provide needed advocacy to insure an effective defense on all fronts and to address related regulatory issues. 

We represent industrial and commercial clients in litigation involving contaminated property and resources.  This type of litigation often involves a combination of tort, contract, redhibition, CERCLA and Louisiana Hazardous Substances Remediation law issues.  Whether we are representing plaintiffs or defendants in these suits, our combination of experience in environmental regulatory law and all aspects of litigation allow us to service our clients at the highest levels of competency and efficiency. For many of our clients, we advise with respect to contracts having environmental implications, and we have been involved in litigation involving contract interpretation and other contract disputes, including major contracts subject to multi-million dollar claims.

We actively monitor state and federal environmental legislation and regulatory developments and become involved in this process to represent the best interests of our clients. Our lawyers participate actively with the Environmental Council of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) and are networked with all major environmental professional groups in the state.

Selected matters handled by the Environmental Law group include:

  • Obtaining an operating permit for Louisiana's largest commercial hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility.
  • Representing the corporation that is remediating one of the nation's largest Superfund sites.
  • Counseling in complex air permitting matters and defending major state and federal enforcement actions brought under the Clean Air Act and Louisiana Air Control Law.
  • Defended zoning challenges to exploration and production activities and industrial operations.
  • Handling permits, contracts and regulatory compliance issues for the nation's largest commercial collector and transporter of solid waste and operator of solid waste landfills.
  • Advising chemical manufacturers, recyclers and businesses in regulatory compliance and permitting in all areas including air quality, hazardous waste, solid waste, water quality and radiation protection.
  • Representing clients in challenges to agency actions, including mandamus and injunction actions against the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
  • Defending clients in private environmental litigation.
  • Representing lenders and borrowers in real estate transactions involving environmental issues.

 

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