Environmental Law
Szaferman Lakind’s environmental lawyers have over 100 years of collective litigation and counsel experience in the environmental field. We have built a strong reputation for environmental excellence. We have helped our clients achieve their objectives in a cost-efficient and timely manner in a variety of areas, including:
Insurance Coverage: Insurers often initially take the position that your pollution claim is not covered. We have successfully brought appeals of denials on behalf of insureds, to ensure that you obtain maximum coverage for your pollution claim.
Due Diligence: Whether you need to prove that you conducted all appropriate inquiries for a past property purchase that is found to be contaminated, or you need to investigate now, we will guide you through a cost-effective preliminary assessment and site investigation report process (including state of the art phase 1 and 2 [ASTM E1527-13]) and review and revise your contract documents, to ensure that you and your business are legally protected.
Contracts and Agreements: We draft contracts and agreement for you intended to protect you from liability for past discharges of hazardous substances, or other non-compliance with environmental laws.
Drinking Water and Well Contamination: Many wells are affected by industrial solvents, dry cleaning fluid and gasoline or oil by-products. If you have a well and your drinking water is contaminated, or you or your business are suspected of being the source of pollution in wells, we can help with your toxic exposure case. We built our reputation on a precedent-setting well pollution case, Ayers v. Township of Jackson.
Leaking Tanks and Spill Cleanups: We will help you ensure that spills from tanks and pipes are professionally cleaned up, that fines are avoided or minimized, and that you get financial assistance to clean up if qualified.
Remediation (Cleanup) and Responsibility: If you own contaminated property, you may be asked to investigate or remediate (clean up) the pollution on land. Investigations can be simple or complex. Not investigating for the source of known or suspected subsurface pollution can delay getting the help you need to successfully clean up and come into compliance, while pursuing the parties responsible for the pollution.
Cleanup Cost Allocation: Szaferman Lakind has successfully provided legal oversight to many federal Superfund and/or state hazardous waste remediation projects, including selection of remedy, allocation of financial responsibility, negotiating contracts with clean up firms, maintaining relationships with adjoining neighbors, and remediation trust fund management.
Permits: We will help you apply for any kind of permit or license, for all kinds of projects, affecting any media air, land use, surface or groundwater, wetlands, docks, fill, storm water, coastal area, mining, access, pollutant discharge, solid and hazardous waste management, etc.
