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Environmental compliance is an essential part of doing business. In fact, as sustainable business practices become more and more integrated into corporate reporting and an assessment of the bottom line, timely, effective, and efficient environmental counseling has become fundamental.
Foley Hoag’s Environmental Compliance Law Practice is the preeminent such practice in New England, having counseled Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, emerging businesses, environmental technology firms, institutions, municipalities, and state authorities on environmental issues and environmental litigation for more than 25 years. Foley Hoag was recognized in 2013 as the sole top environmental law practice in Massachusetts in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and has been designated as a top practice every year from 2003-2012. We also maintain the leading "Law and the Environment" blog, with regular updates on legislative, regulatory and judicial developments affecting environmental issues.
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Whether crafting compliance programs, securing project permits, preparing environmental litigation or performing due diligence, we provide our clients with legal strategies based on deep knowledge of laws and regulations and innovative approaches crafted around your business needs. Our experience includes:
- Permitting new or existing facilities: We assist all types of companies in obtaining the necessary approvals to construct and operate new and existing facilities. We represent clients across a range of industries, including fossil-fuel fired power plants; renewable energy developers, including wind, solar, and biomass; RCRA treatment, storage or disposal facilities; and chemical, paper, and biotech manufacturing firms. We help these clients to obtain wastewater, air emission, solid waste management, and hazardous waste management permits under federal and state laws.
- National Environmental Policy Act review: We help proponents of major commercial and public facilities manage the environmental review process under NEPA and parallel state laws, such as the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.
- Managing wetlands and endangered species resource protection: In the development of major office and industrial parks; educational, healthcare, and recreational facilities; and transportation projects, Foley Hoag helps clients navigate federal and state wetlands and endangered species regulations.
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Buying, selling, or managing contaminated property: Several of our lawyers have been involved in the statutory and regulatory reforms designed to facilitate “brownfields” redevelopment. They have also been closely involved in the development and ongoing implementation of Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation privatized cleanup program.
- Environmental litigation and dispute resolution: In a complex world where transparency and public participation are important values, even the best project can fall prey to unwanted delay or, worse, litigation challenging project approvals. Foley Hoag's knowledge of relevant dispute resolution processes allows us to work efficiently with clients to minimize delay and avoid litigation – or, when necessary, overcome legal challenges to clients’ projects.
Environmental Risk Management, Sustainability, and Corporate Social Responsibility Counseling
In addition to performing these discrete services, Foley Hoag can also provide our clients with big-picture compliance and environmental risk management advice over the entire range of environmental issues facing businesses today, including air emissions, emissions banking/trading, and climate change. We work with our clients on traditional environmental audits, implementation of environmental management systems, and “beyond compliance” issues such as corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility programs.
Our Environmental Compliance attorneys will assist you in making environmental excellence part of your business with Foley Hoag.
