Overview
Companies in the upstream, midstream and downstream industry face intense environmental scrutiny from legislators, regulators and activists. Our nationally known environmental practice, which includes attorneys who work extensively on Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) matters, helps energy companies in multiple states face these challenges and safely and reliably bring products to market to meet our energy needs. Clients in the energy sector, including pipeline operators, trust our business-savvy legal advice in the face of the difficult operating conditions posed by commodity price volatility, regulatory uncertainty and citizen group activism. We leverage our in-depth industry knowledge — and our experience representing operators facing significant enforcement, compliance, crisis-management and litigation challenges — to deliver value-added solutions to producers, pipeline operators and refiners. We help energy clients confront environmental issues relating to design, siting, construction, operation, maintenance and integrity management of energy assets. We represent clients in matters arising under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, public lands statutes, condemnation and state public utility commission activities. We also support clients through PHMSA counseling and hearing matters that so often overlap with pipeline operational issues. This combination of environmental and pipeline safety and response experience enables us to understand not just the air, water and waste issues pertinent to a midstream asset, but also the technical and practical aspects of pipeline operations, including integrity management, cathodic protection, leak detection systems, operating pressures and control room operations, among other issues.