Environmental

Bilzin Sumberg's Environmental Group represents clients in a number of high-profile environmental regulation and enforcement cases by local, state and federal agencies. The Group provides innovative solutions to a wide range of environmental issues faced by Florida's development and redevelopment community. Its expertise lies in counseling clients through the most appropriate and the most cost-effective environmental remediation strategy averting unwelcomed litigation and adverse publicity for our clients. Additionally, the Group's attorneys, many drawing from previous career experience as land use and environmental planners, offer skilled guidance through strategic risk management and responsible growth planning.

Home to one of the largest wetland areas in the country, Florida's environmental regulatory scheme is especially complex. Bilzin Sumberg attorneys have frequently been involved with the drafting/revision of wetlands regulations in order to better serve the housing needs of the community as they have assisted clients with wetland permitting issues, including compliance and enforcement defense.

The Environmental Group regularly assists clients with redevelopment plans and strategies. We frequently counsel developers wishing to repurpose former golf course, landfill or agricultural lands along the eastern U.S. seaboard, which are often contaminated with residuals from chemical treatments. Bilzin Sumberg's Environmental Group often works in tandem with our Government Relations & Land Development and Real Estate practice groups, offering a cohesive approach to client development projects. The team is generally regarded as "among the best" in the State. Moreover, the Group is often consulted by clients regarding environmental issues in other markets, as a result of their significant experience with the active and sophisticated land use regime in Florida.

The Environmental Group supports all aspects of regulation, permitting, and enforcement actions related to:

• Contamination assessment and remediation strategy – assisting clients in assessing property contamination and navigating the regulatory process for site remediation
• Environmental counseling – assisting clients with due diligence and compliance for environmental regulations
• Federal, state and local wetland regulations as they relate to the development of land, with an emphasis on the Bert J. Harris Act and the Florida Uniform Wetland Mitigation Assessment Methodology
• Brownfields and impacted site redevelopment – converting contaminated property into environmentally safe and thriving projects
• Stormwater management and permitting
• Marina permitting and operation, sovereignty and submerged land leases and accompanying Environmental Resource Permits for docks and marinas
• Landfills – site selection, landfill permitting, operating and compliance permits, periodic reporting, enforcement or regulatory defense and landfill closures
• Regulatory permitting for residential, commercial and industrial uses
• Hazardous waste – including compliance with CERCLA, RCRA, and OSHA; and assisting clients subject to environmental audits
• Property rights protection – property right violations and compensation requests where property value is impacted