Groundwater Regulation / Real Property Contamination
Since its inception, our firm has been intimately involved with regulatory, legislative, and litigation issues pertaining to groundwater regulation and real property contamination. Over the years, our firm has represented individual industrial interests, industrial association interests, local governments, and developers in shaping Florida's regulation of both groundwater and remediation of real property contamination.
Our firm has been a leader in the development of all of Florida's groundwater regulations, including development of water quality standards (primary and secondary) and the regulation of water disposal through underground injection systems. Similarly, our firm remains extensively involved in the development of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's soil cleanup target levels, the Florida Brownfield Redevelopment Act, the Florida petroleum cleanup program and the Florida drycleaning program. Most recently, our firm has undertaken a leadership role in implementing risk-based corrective action (RBCA) principles at petroleum, drycleaning, and brownfield sites in Florida. Our firm is also working with regulated interests and regulators concerning the appropriate expansion and application of RBCA principles to other contaminated sites in Florida.
Our lawyers have extensive experience counseling clients on environmental considerations associated with real property acquisition, including liability and indemnity considerations, environmental due diligence methodology and related concerns, financing environmentally impacted properties, and assessing/remediating contaminated properties. Whether negotiating a favorable regulatory resolution with government, litigating with off-site concerns or litigating with former or current operators of a site, our firm has extensive experience in structuring creative solutions to enable our clients to pursue goals at sites otherwise challenged by the presence or threat of contamination. We have successfully represented clients in securing appropriate, cost-effective, and responsible cleanup of some of the most severely contaminated sites in Florida. Our firm has negotiated hundreds of consent orders with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection structuring the methodology for assessment and, when necessary, remediation of properties with contamination to both groundwater and soil. We routinely represent clients in state and federal courts throughout Florida in matters of contamination of our clients' properties or contamination allegedly originating from our clients' current or former operations.
Practicing Attorneys : Ralph A. DeMeo, Carl Eldred, Gary K. Hunter, Jr., Michael P. Petrovich and D. Kent Safriet.