Environmental
Chambliss environmental attorneys are the go-to resource for local, regional, and national clients seeking practical, cost-effective solutions for compliance counseling, transactional advice, and representation in environmental enforcement actions and administrative proceedings. We have a track record of success in defending clients in local and state courts, federal trial courts, and appellate courts throughout the U.S.
For decades we have immersed ourselves in the environmental industry. When working with our attorneys, clients benefit from our depth of knowledge in both the law and industry trends, as well as the network we've built over the years with industry leaders. We're proud to counsel clients at the forefront of their fields, including EPB, Astec Industries Inc., and McKee Foods. Our group has diverse backgrounds in environmental compliance, telecommunications, natural resources law and policy, energy law, global sustainability, city water utilities, and geographic science.
We regularly complete environmental assessments for clients, develop sound compliance strategies, and design programs to meet air, water, hazardous waste, and other regulatory requirements. When it comes to transactions, we promptly address environmental risks for buyers and sellers and their environmental professionals. We have extensive experience in structuring agreements to allocate responsibility for both known environmental issues and unknown environmental risks. We also have boots on the ground experience with brownfield sites, including those with extensive contamination from historic uses.
Our attorneys are standouts in environmental law. Rick Hitchcock, chair of the section, has been recognized by Chambers USA for Environment and by Best Lawyers in America® for Energy Law. We have led in various roles for the Environmental Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association; the Environment, Energy, and Resources Section of the American Bar Association; and Tennessee Association of Manufacturers Environmental Law Section. Our team often shares insight before trade groups at events like the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturers Association Environment, Health, and Safety Summit; Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Environment, Safety, and Manufacturing Conference; and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Environmental Show of the South.
A Snapshot of Our Depth
- Representation in environmental administrative law proceedings before agencies including regional EPA offices and state and federal courts
- Environmental regulatory compliance and investigations
- Appellate cases, alternative settlement approaches, including the use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs)
- Matters related to The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- Solid and hazardous waste management
- Air (including Title V) and stormwater permits – needs, applications, and renewals
- Training and reference materials for command-and-control compliance programs
- Conservation easements
- Land remediation
- Environmental due diligence, often in real estate transactions
- Review of Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment reports
- Emerging issues like greenhouse gases and allocation of water
- Real estate due diligence