Environmental law has been around for a long time, but just recently has become something to be aware of or worry about. With climate change and many companies breaking environmental laws, the economic and socio-geopolitical impact of these laws requires an intricate matrix that must be continuously evolving.
At Rushing & Guice, our Ocean Springs Environmental Lawyers have decades of experience assisting public and private clients with state and federal. When it comes to the environment, our environmental lawyers are there for you. We can help set up the internal procedures and guide expansion when necessary so that your company will comply with all laws concerning waste management or wildlife protection – not just those on a spreadsheet.
What Do Ocean Springs Environmental Lawyers Do?
The experience and input of environmental lawyers is crucial in designing, supporting, or auditing compliance systems. They often encourage sound rulemaking on the federal level and assist clients with regulatory ambiguities during enforcement proceedings.
Environmental Litigation
The environmental law business is booming. Tons of litigation happens at both the civil and criminal levels, with enforcement proceedings conducted through either administrative adjudication or court action.
Superfund (also known as CERCLA) gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites when there is no viable responsible party. Superfund designations are a major source of litigation in the United States: they provide an opportunity for individuals and companies who believe they have been negatively impacted by environmental contamination. Environmental litigation includes toxic torts, natural resources, water rights disputes, brownfields, endangered species challenges, climate change, and groundwater contamination.
Federal Environmental Laws
The major environmental laws passed by Congress in the 1970s, such as The Clean Air Act and Water Quality Improvement Act, have been amended over time with new regulations. In some instances, these acts were extended through administrative measures to protect our air quality or water resources from harmful activities that might take place elsewhere. This means businesses need specific processes beforehand to stay compliant if there are any anticipated impacts on landfills due to construction projects, etc. Our Ocean Springs environmental lawyers know how to help our clients conform to the mandates of environmental law and incorporate these measures seamlessly into their operations.
Environmental Law And The Economy
When companies buy or sell real estate, the environment can be important in determining how much it will cost. If they purchase properties without all of the needed permits and licenses from local authorities, those costs might have to paid upfront as part of the purchasing agreement terms, which could affect profitability down the line. Contact our Ocean Springs environmental lawyer experts about environmental law; we do our best to help clients navigate these invariably complicated waters.
Strategic Corporate Planning
Depending on the environmental regulations that are being proposed, a company could gain an economic advantage over its competitors. The prospect of changing regulations in areas such as greenhouse gas emissions could alter the business model for some companies, but it also increases the potential to create growth opportunities if implemented correctly.
As our environment changes, businesses and services must adapt to people’s needs and desires and the new environment.
Crisis Management
Having a skilled team of environmental attorneys on board can be the difference between success and failure in response to any crisis. The effects of crises on corporations, municipalities, and other impacted entities are complex and require experienced, clear-eyed Ocean Springs environmental lawyers to help entities to respond and recover.
Defending Against Environmental Violations
Environmental law is a vast regulation area that caters to the environment and its inhabitants. This includes not only physical properties but also human health concerns such as air quality or water quality standards – which can be enforced by federal regulatory agencies like EPA with criminal penalties for violations they find guilty. To avoid these suits, it is important to have adequate insurance coverage in case anything goes wrong. Our environmental lawyers, Rushing & Guice, will fight hard on your behalf if necessary because we know how much you care about protecting yourself from lawsuits stemming from select environmental crimes committed against people.
Proper insurance is the best way to protect your business against environmental risks. Unfortunately, general liability policies often come up short when it comes to environmental defense. That said, it is necessary to consider other forms of insurance, depending on the particular business and environmental risk:
- Errors and Omissions Insurance – Protection for environmental consultants and other service providers.
- Underground Storage Tank (UST) Policies – Protection against unforeseen cleanup and costs relating to USTs.
- Cost Cap Insurance – Protection against cost overruns in contamination cleanup projects.
- Pollution Legal Liability (PLL) Insurance – Coverage for cleanup or protection against claims relating to pollution events at a site.
If you need to protect your business against environmental claims, it is vital to have Ocean Springs environmental lawyers navigating mazes of law and regulations. We at Rushing & Guice can provide this expertise for all our clients’ needs.
Call us at (228) 374-2313 or fill out our online form to arrange for a limited initial consultation. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to serve as your Gulf Coast environmental attorneys.
