Sive, Paget & Riesel
represents businesses, developers and property managers, individuals,
local, state and federal governments, and environmental groups
in a wide variety of environmental issues, including Solid
and Hazardous Waste, Federal and State Superfund, Climate Change, Alternative Energy, Toxic Tort Litigation, Underground Storage Tanks & Oil Spill Litigation, Enforcement, Criminal Prosecutions, Transactional Due Diligence and Compliance Audits.
The firm has more than thirty years of experience in matters involving the regulation of solid and hazardous waste. We support clients operating in virtually all areas of this industrial sector, including recycling facilities, waste-to-energy facilities, landfills, transfer stations, and waste transportation projects. Sive, Paget & Riesel represents clients in negotiating hazardous substance remediation agreements with federal and state agencies, which entails a cooperative effort among counsel, engineers and scientists in developing technical studies and risk assessments.
Since the adoption of the federal Superfund statute in 1980, Sive, Paget & Riesel has litigated a large number of cost recovery actions seeking to recover the costs of cleanup of hazardous substances under the Superfund law, also known as CERCLA. The firm is also active in its work on actions brought under similar state laws on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. We have also defended potentially responsible parties ("PRPs") in many government-initiated actions. The firm has a record of obtaining favorable settlements in these types of cases, often raising money from third-parties to fund cleanups or achieving cost-saving remedy modifications. We have also prosecuted cost recovery actions many times on behalf of Brownfield developers seeking to obtain reimbursement for prior contamination of a property undergoing redevelopment. We have represented numerous parties seeking to purchase property, successfully assisting them in assessing and minimizing.
Emerging legal issues surrounding global climate change are central to many areas of Sive, Paget & Riesel's practice. From analyzing potential impacts from greenhouse gas emissions in environmental impact statements, to monitoring the latest regulatory requirements under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), to assisting corporate clients with climate change audits, to drafting climate change disclosure language in securities filings, SPR lawyers are experienced and stay current on emerging legal issues presented by global climate change.
Sive, Paget & Riesel has decades of experience with the siting issues that commonly affect proposed energy projects, and has advised clients with regard to proposed wind farms, natural gas pipelines, and electricity transmission and distribution lines. The firm has represented alternative energy providers including resource recovery facilities in permitting matters. SPR has successfully litigated these in state and federal courts as well as in administrative proceedings, and has advised clients seeking to promote emerging alternative energy technologies in the national and international markets.
Sive, Paget & Riesel has defended numerous toxic tort actions throughout the United States, representing private and corporate clients in cases dealing with a range of issues. From heavy metal or organic chemical contamination of groundwater to property stigma claims, our legal team has the knowledge and experience you need. Our lawyers have also written extensively on legal issues pertaining to these types of lawsuits.
Sive, Paget & Riesel has experience navigating the complex regulations governing the registration, maintenance and operation of underground storage tanks and in defending enforcement actions based on the discharge of petroleum. We have been successful in recovering money for clients damaged by petroleum discharges by bringing private enforcement actions under federal law, the New York Navigation law and State common law.
Sive, Paget & Riesel is uniquely qualified to defend environmental enforcement matters, particularly enforcement actions that threaten the health or viability of a company. A wealth of experience in enforcement proceedings served as the background for founding principal Dan Riesel's book, Environmental Enforcement: Civil and Criminal and our legal team includes many former federal and state environmental lawyers. We combine this knowledge and experience to effectively defend clients in any enforcement action brought by federal, state or local governments.
As criminal investigations and prosecution for environmental infractions have increased, Sive, Paget & Riesel has become increasingly active in defending the targets of criminal investigation and prosecutions. Our attorneys leverage their experience as federal and state prosecutors to provide thorough support for clients in all aspects of the case.
Sive, Paget & Riesel represents both small companies and large corporations in the environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions. Our lawyers provide a range of services including legal analyses, selection and supervision of environmental engineers and consultants, and the preparation of reports and opinion letters.
Compliance audits cannot prudently be delegated to engineers alone, given the governmental capacity to utilize audits as evidence in permitting, enforcement and criminal proceedings. Working proactively, we assist our industrial clients in formulating and implementing compliance audits that address problems before they result in an enforcement action and seek to reduce hazardous waste generation. |
