Environmental Law/Hazardous Substances

Environmental law has long been a major practice area for Brown Winfield Canzoneri Abram Inc. (BWCA). Our environmental law expertise reflects our diverse public and private practice involving regulatory compliance, hazardous waste and substances liability, and real property development. We represent clients in:

• Counseling and litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and state statutory and common law for recovery of environmental costs;


• Toxic tort litigation and Proposition 65 litigation;


• Effectively working with the Brownfields Initiatives, the Polanco Act, and other recent state legislation and regulations to clean up, obtain financing for, and develop contaminated properties;


• Representing clients before and working with regulatory agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Health Services, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and local environmental agencies;


• Identifying and negotiating with parties responsible for cleanup costs, such as current and/or former owners, operators, generators, transporters, arrangers, contractors, and adjacent property owners;


• Processing under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). (See detailed description in Land Use practice group.)

Our environmental law/hazardous substances group also works closely with our Eminent Domain and Inverse Condemnation practice group.