Environmental

We have significant and varied experience in the area of environmental law and related issues. We have continuous dealings with, and have appeared before, numerous Puerto Rico agencies where environmental issues arise, including but not limited to, the Environmental Quality Board, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Department of Health, the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, the Planning Board, the Regulations and Permits Administration, the numerous autonomous municipalities throughout Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company. At the federal level, the agencies we appear before include, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

With respect to environmental counseling, our environmental practice group approaches counseling from a proactive and strategic standpoint to develop action plans that will help achieve and maintain environmental compliance – and avoid claims and litigation. More specifically, we provide counseling to firm clients on corporate and real estate transactions, including environmental due diligence, internal compliance audits, the drafting and negotiation of agreements, civil and criminal liabilities under local and federal laws and regulations, and legislative and rulemaking affairs, among others. We assist clients in matters pertaining to Environmental Impact Statements and related documents. We also counsel and assist clients on multiple permitting efforts, including preparing and reviewing applications, and negotiating with regulators, the issuance of necessary authorizations, licenses, concessions, endorsements and permits, including a variety of industrial and commercial permits for air emissions, hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste generation, underground injection, wastewater discharges, ground and surface water extraction, storm water management and discharges, underground storage tanks, recycling, and waste minimization plans.

On the litigation front, our attorneys often represent and participate in a variety of administrative and judicial enforcement proceedings where the plaintiffs are federal authorities, Puerto Rico agencies, or citizen groups and third parties. These proceedings include those involving the revocation of permits and licenses, opposition to fines and penalties; the defense and prosecution of civil environmental actions, including Environmental Impact Statement challenges, CERCLA, RCRA (UST), CAA, CWA claims, natural resources damages, local NEPA litigation, Consent Decree negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice, environmental criminal grand jury subpoenas and claims under the equivalent local statutory provisions, among others.  Our attorneys have significant experience in complex mass toxic torts and multi-district litigious matters including among others; asbestos litigation, MBTE litigation and the CAPECO explosion litigation.