Overview

The McGinnis Lochridge environmental team of attorneys has considerable collective knowledge of environmental issues and a strong track record at federal, state and local levels. Our experience encompasses a wide range of matters related to air quality, hazardous and solid waste, water quality, water supply, and wetlands. We are well versed in permitting, enforcement defense, environmental audits, and due diligence work, along with related litigation and administrative appeals of agency decisions, and provide counseling and comprehensive assistance with permitting and enforcement under the broad array of environmental statutes and regulations.

We have strong relationships at, and routinely represent clients before, the key environmental regulatory agencies, such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Railroad Commission of Texas, the U.S. Corps of Engineers, local groundwater conservation districts, and other federal, state, and local governmental bodies.

Our attorneys are dedicated to supporting our clients, working to fully understand their businesses and how various environmental statutes and regulations may apply. We are active in the policymaking process and also monitor legislative and regulatory developments, both state and federal, to determine how proposed rules and legislation may affect client interests. Our lawyers are experienced in seeking legislative and rulemaking solutions to client issues where appropriate

Clients who seek out our Environmental Practice Group include Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller companies, landowners, developers, municipal water utilities and individuals. Some representative client industries include chemical, petroleum refining, oil and gas, electric generation, cement, aggregate and other mining, ready mix concrete, lime, waste management, water and wastewater utilities, water supply, and real estate.

View our Environmental Practice Group brochure here.

Permitting and Contested Cases

Our attorneys have handled the full spectrum of permitting matters, including advising clients in the application process and coordinating with the permitting agency. We have considerable experience in complex contested case hearings and appeals of agency orders in court. Collectively, the members of our Environmental Practice Group have the capability and resources to represent a permit applicant from before submission through final action by the courts in the event of an administrative appeal.

Compliance and Enforcement

We routinely counsel clients on compliance with complex environmental statutes, regulations, permits and orders. We regularly assist clients in conducting environmental audits and due diligence. Due to vigorous state and federal enforcement efforts, we have substantial experience representing clients in administrative and civil enforcement actions including those brought by the TCEQ, the EPA, local governments, and citizens under federal citizen suit provisions. Our expertise includes negotiating routine and complex enforcement actions and negotiating settlements and orders.

Litigation

We have represented individuals and companies in a variety of lawsuits involving environmental claims. Some of these have involved the mining, manufacturing, waste disposal and oil and gas industries. We defend clients in state and federal courts in complex civil litigation and citizen suits in the environmental enforcement context, including toxic tort and federal and state statutory claims. We also have significant experience representing clients in state court appeals of TCEQ permitting decisions. While we have significant litigation experience in such matters, our attorneys have helped a variety of stakeholders avoid litigation through planning and compliance efforts. Our approach is to help clients find solutions that keep economic interests protected while working with federal and local governmental entities to facilitate cooperation and results.

Newsroom

Publications

  • Co-Author, Regulation of Specific Substances: Ch. 18: Radioactive Materials and Wastes and Radiation-Producing Devices, Texas Practice Series Vol. 46, 2020-2021 Edition
  • Presenter, Essential Elements of Navigating a Contested Case Hearing on a Compressed Timeline, Austin Bar Association Anatomy of a Hearing Conference
    March 6, 2020
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