Environmental
For the past 40 years, the firm has been a leader in representing municipal, business and industrial clients in all aspects of environmental practice, including: the development and financing of environmental infrastructure; real estate transactions; representation before administrative bodies; permitting of new and existing facilities; regulatory compliance issues, hazardous waste corrective actions, and the representation of clients in the defense of environmental litigation. The firm’s attorneys have assisted in the environmental aspects of construction activities for contractors, developers and owners. In addition, the firm offers a full range of legislative services in the environmental area, assisting clients in developing legislation required for specific client needs and tracking legislation impacting client activities.
The environmental practice began with the opportunity for development of public infrastructure in Mississippi, including the Rex Brown Steam Generating Plant in Jackson; the Bayou Casotte Industrial Park on the Gulf Coast in Pascagoula; environmental infrastructure for the City of Tupelo and the Northeast Regional Water Supply District; and the creation of the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District which built the Barnett Reservoir north of the City of Jackson. The firm’s attorneys, working with municipal clients, have been instrumental in the legislative creation and funding of numerous water, wastewater and solid waste districts throughout the State, including: the West Rankin Metropolitan Sewer and Water District; the DeSoto County Regional Wastewater Authority; the Madison County Regional Wastewater Authority and the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood Control and Drainage District.
The firm’s environmental practice provides service to the private sector as well, delivering legal assistance in connection with site and infrastructure development, air, water and waste permitting and construction of some of the largest industrial projects in Mississippi, including: the Severstal steel mill in Lowndes County; the Wellman PET manufacturing facility in Hancock County; and the Nissan North America automotive manufacturing facility in Madison County. The Environmental Practice also provides regulatory compliance assistance involving environmental auditing and management systems, compliance audits and representation before administrative bodies during agency compliance actions. The firm’s attorneys have assisted industries locating in Mississippi with financial assistance from the state for environmental infrastructure.
The firm's work includes the performance of environmental due diligence in connection with financing, mergers and acquisitions, industrial and municipal development and real property transfers. Within the real estate market, the Firm has provided assistance with hazardous waste investigations, under CERCLA, RCRA and state laws, Brownfield developments, site remediation and the issuance of no further action decisions. The Firm's attorneys possess expertise in environmental management, land use regulation, project finance and mergers and acquisitions. For municipal clients, the firm’s attorneys have specialized knowledge of municipal financing for environmental projects, as well as grant acquisition from EPA and the Corps of Engineers. We strive to assist the client in negotiating the environmental provisions of a transaction and designing creative solutions for difficult situations.
The firm's environmental practice also includes a full range of permitting, compliance program services and litigation defense for industrial, manufacturing and municipal clients. The Firm has represented clients before the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Marine Resources and all other state agencies which regulate environmental matters in permitting and compliance.