ENVIRONMENTAL

Ater Wynne is a regional leader in environmental, natural resources and land use law. The firm’s Environmental Group is ranked in the top tiers of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Best Lawyers in America.  Claudia Powers, Chair of the group, has a number one ranking in Chambers and she and several members of the practice group are also listed in Best Lawyers in America and Oregon Super Lawyers.

 The firm offers specialized and practical advice on environmental, natural resources and land use matters as a key component of the full range of legal services the firm offers its clients. Our clients include utility companies and energy project developers, large commercial property owners, tribes and tribal enterprises, municipalities and port authorities, aluminum and mining companies, chemical manufacturers, forest and agricultural products corporations, paper mills and recycling plants and advanced technology businesses.

 We are experienced in the effective representation of clients involved in local, state and federal environmental matters, including:

Superfund and Brownfield Cleanups

Ater Wynne represents potentially responsible parties in state and federal Superfund proceedings, including natural resource damage assessment and litigation, and prosecutes private cost recovery actions under state and federal Superfund laws. We are experienced in complex cleanups and redevelopment of large industrial properties, including sediment remediation and natural resource restoration. Our attorneys include nationally and internationally recognized experts in brownfield redevelopment, with experience representing developers, buyers and sellers, lenders and investors, and local governments.

Environmental Compliance

We provide advice to clients regarding all matters of environmental compliance, including federal, state and local laws regulating hazardous waste, toxic substances, petroleum, air and water quality, noise, timber management, and worker health and safety. In addition, we counsel defendants in administrative enforcement actions arising out of alleged violations of environmental laws, and appear in administrative hearings, civil trials, and appeals.

Environmental Permitting

The firm assists clients in the preparation of a wide variety of environmental permits, including air quality, solid and hazardous waste management, water and wastewater discharges, water rights, dredging, and wetlands impacts.

Land and Natural Resource Regulation and Development

A key component of Ater Wynne’s practice is representing clients in obtaining approvals for a wide variety of land development, construction projects, and energy facility siting authorization for fossil fuel, wind, biomass and hydroelectric plants and major transmission facilities. The firm has particular expertise representing owners of environmentally challenged property, including waterfront and industrial land, forest property, and tribal or government lands. Ater Wynne has long standing relationships with national and regional consulting firms, bringing clients the team needed to obtain project approval.

National Environmental Policy Act/Impact Statements

We also provide advice to both businesses and governmental agencies on all facets of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and state environmental impact laws, including legal and policy guidance on the development of environmental impact statements.

Endangered Species Act

Ater Wynne represents clients on all facets of the Endangered Species Act, including participation in the listing process, critical habitat designation, habitat restoration and conservation plans and incidental take permits, as well as litigation concerning ESA issues in federal courts. Typical projects include energy facility siting, construction and operation, residential, commercial and industrial developments, timber, mining, agricultural and forest operations.

Corporate and Real Estate Transactions

Ater Wynne attorneys represent clients engaged in corporate and real estate transactions, provide advice on potential environmental liabilities and negotiate appropriate protections, warranties, and indemnifications. The firm has considerable experience in negotiating sales or leases involving “problem” sites characterized by adverse environmental conditions.

Representative Clients

• Cascade General, Inc.
• Diné Power Authority, a Navajo Nation Enterprise
• Golden Northwest Aluminum Holding Co.
• Golden Valley Electric Association, Inc.
• SP Newsprint
• Teck American