Environmental & Natural Resources

Overview

Throughout Florida and the Southeast, our group represents clients regarding diverse environmental issues including, wetlands, sovereign submerged lands, coastal development and resilience, protected species, water quality and water use, as well as property contamination, brownfields, waste management, due diligence, natural resource extraction, wastewater/stormwater management, and beach nourishment.

Our team of environmental and land use attorneys, land use planners, GIS analysts and property appraisers is able to help clients throughout the entire lifecycle of virtually any environmental project. From due diligence prior to acquisition, land development to facilities siting and operation, we collaborate with clients to help secure permits and other authorizations for projects and defend them through administrative and citizen-suit challenges, if needed.

Our clients span a wide range of industries and we understand the complexities of the environmental laws and regulations governing their operations. Our team is regularly involved in state and federal rulemaking and is positioned to counsel clients on regulatory compliance, as well as defend clients in regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, environmental class actions, and toxic torts claims.

Range of Services

Natural Resources Permitting

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance
• Water regulation and permitting
  • Water quality permitting – Clean Water Act (CWA) / national pollutant discharge elimination system; State of Florida environmental resource permitting
  • Utilities – Wastewater, reuse, potable and irrigation water
  • Water resource and consumptive use permitting
  • Wastewater and stormwater permitting
• Wetlands/surface water regulation and permitting
  • Section 404 of the Clean Water Act “dredge and fill” permitting
  • Chapter 373 part IV/environmental resource permitting
  • Mitigation banking
• Mining and other resource extraction
• State lands and sovereign submerged lands
• Conservation easements, planning and incentives

Protected Species and Habitat Conservation Regulation and Permitting

• Endangered Species Act/National Marine Fisheries Act/ Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules and guidelines

Property Contamination and Redevelopment

• Remediation and cleanup of contaminated property
• Brownfield redevelopment
• Environmental due diligence
• Emerging contaminants – Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation and Permitting

• Hazardous waste management and recycling
• Landfills and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste management units
• Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) management units

Climate Resiliency/Sea Level Rise

• Coastal regulation
• Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) permitting
• Beach nourishment/renourishment

Energy Infrastructure

• Solar development
• Utility corridors
• Substations and other distribution facilities