PSH’s Environmental practice advises clients on environmental issues that inevitably arise on small and large development projects, renewable energy projects, and residential and commercial real estate transactions. Our attorneys have experience with wetlands and coastal permitting issues, negotiation of Brownfields Settlement Agreements and development of Brownfields sites, and hazardous materials enforcement and environmental regulatory issues. We bring specialists together at the beginning of a project to advise the developer, business, lender, or governmental entity on how to mitigate risk while maintaining the ability to deal strategically with the complex regulatory environmental issues and enforcement actions that arise during project development or day-to-day business operations.
This team represents clients in all aspects of real estate and renewable energy projects, including large-scale retail, commercial, and industrial development. Representation includes site acquisition, due diligence issues, governmental permitting, structuring and negotiation of financing, environmental compliance issues, construction contracting issues, and public trust doctrine issues. We have represented clients on diverse environmental matters including, but not limited to, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and United State Environmental Protection Agency.
We also represent municipal and state entities on the establishment of special port districts and special development districts. Regarding environmental permitting, attorneys in the practice advise applicants on matters that involve wetlands issues, coastal permitting regulations, waterfront property rights issues, asbestos abatement, hazardous waste regulations, Brownfields programs, landfill closure issues, and wastewater treatment regulations.
Environmental litigation handled by the team includes toxic tort and Superfund claims, as well as litigation brought to recover hazardous property remediation costs.