Steve’s practice includes representation of both private and public clients in matters arising under the Clean Water Act, NEPA (and its state equivalent), and Washington’s Growth Management Act. Steve also has represented clients in matters arising under the state and federal Superfund laws, and in insurance coverage litigation. Steve’s clients include manufacturers, mining companies, municipalities, and solid waste companies. Steve has extensive trial and appellate experience, before state and federal courts.
Steve has presented papers at American Bar Association’s Annual Conference on Environmental Law (Keystone) in 2009, where his paper was named the best of the conference. He has contributed to chapters to both the Association of Washington Businesses’ Environmental Compliance Handbook and the Washington State Bar Association’s Real Property Deskbook. He is the former editor of the American Bar Association’s Superfund and NRD Litigation Committee Newsletter. Steve currently serves on the Executive Board of the Washington State Bar Environmental Land Use Section.
Representative Experience
- Currently working on permitting expansion of a the largest composting facility in the Pacific Northwest, including the introduction of anaerobic digestion and an associated co-generation facility using captured methane from the new digesters. This project is being partially funded through federal grants for alternative energy production.
- Lead counsel in the defense of a public utility district’s (“P.U.D.”) proposed environmental impact statement to develop and solve long-standing transmission and distribution problems in the Methow Valley area in Eastern Washington, one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the State of Washington. Assisted in the preparation of the environmental impact statement for the project and in mitigating the environmental impacts of seven different installation alternatives for P.U.D. Successfully defended the EIS and the overall project at both the trial court and at the Court of Appeals.
- Represented a Washington municipality in a CERCLA and MTCA cost recovery and contribution action to recover millions of dollars in remediation costs for a drinking water well field that was contaminated by an adjacent former military base, now a federal Superfund site, and prosecuted claims against the military and its defense contractors.
- Successfully pursued insurance coverage for a number of clients who have been involved in environmental remediation or have been sued over hazardous waste sites.