Practice Areas: Environmental Solutions

Solid Wastes

The management of non-hazardous solid wastes requires fashioning solutions which address not only federal requirements but the growing number of state and local regulations. Our clients include a wide range of businesses. We have assisted municipalities and developers in the development of landfills, transfer stations and recycling facilities.

Our work incorporates the full spectrum of development including land use, environmental permitting, business aspects, and the litigation which may necessarily result from any substantial new solid waste management facility. We have guided a number of such projects to successful completion, and provide continuing assistance to allow them to operate profitably.

The Group has also developed a particular expertise in landfill gas to energy projects. We have participated in the structuring and implementation of a number of projects incorporating the substantial benefits provided by Section 29 of the federal Tax Code and incorporating additional benefits provided by a number of states for such projects. We have structured and closed the largest such municipal landfill gas to energy projects to date, bringing private investment to both municipal and private disposal facility owners.

Representative Work

• New landfill and transfer station development/permitting.
• Counseling landfill owners and a statewide coalition of landfill owners on amendments to state’s solid waste regulatory programs.
• Counseling landfill owners on groundwater monitoring and remediation/corrective action programs and development of cost-effective solutions.
• Drafting for cities and counties "host agreements" in the wake of very active environmental group opposition to new solid waste disposal facilities.
• Assisting local governments in developing strategies to ensure continuous solid waste streams to disposal facilities, without the need to adopt flow control ordinances. Structuring, implementation, and closing of tax-enhanced landfill gas to energy projects, including the single largest such U.S. projects.