Environmental Law

  • Have you, your property, or your economic interests been harmed by pollution or contamination for which you are not responsible?
  • Are you facing allegations of environmental liability?
  • Are you the subject of an environmental agency order, investigation, or enforcement action?

If so, Chenoweth Law Group can help.

Experienced Advocates Serving Portland and Beyond

CLG is based in Portland. We are among the top environmental litigation firms in the Pacific Northwest, serving clients in Oregon, Washington, and California. We have successfully prosecuted and defended numerous environmental claims at all levels of state and federal government, from administrative hearings boards to state and federal trial courts, and on up through the courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Our attorneys will help you understand the array of statutes and regulations affecting you or your business, while formulating solutions aimed at providing optimum results.

Environmental Claims on Behalf of Businesses

Often previous property owners, prior businesses, and other responsible parties fail to properly clean up toxic or hazardous waste contamination or pollution. We have ample experience addressing such cases of environmental liability, including underground storage tank cases. Our lawyers can locate and identify responsible parties and, if necessary, file civil claims against past owners, operators, arrangers, and transporters to recover cleanup costs and generate funding for future compliance.

Effective Defense, Exceptional Litigators

Our law firm can help defend you or your business against state and federal environmental agency orders, investigations, and enforcement actions. We represent clients in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest. We work closely with all relevant government agencies, including the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE); and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

We offer in-depth knowledge of all related acts and regulations, such as:

  • CERCLA and Superfund
  • Oregon Superfund statute, ORS 465
  • Washington Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA)
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
  • Clean Water Act
  • Administrative Procedures Act
  • Zoning and land use regulations, such as those relating to underground storage tanks
  • Wetlands regulations

As your attorneys, our goals are to manage or mend relationships, coordinate cost-effective solutions and negotiate settlements. We can also help you work proactively to make sure you remain in compliance and avoid regulatory violations. When the job requires the expertise of an environmental consultant, we call on our relationships within the industry to provide you with the professional services you need.

We can also defend your business against environmental lawsuits, cost recovery and contribution claims, and toxic tort claims. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation and build a strong case to disprove or minimize your liability for site cleanup.

Protecting Individuals, Families, and Communities

Our attorneys use their experience and knowledge to help individuals, families, and communities address their environmental law concerns. Examples include:

  • Property contamination: We can represent you in making civil trespass, nuisance, negligence, and other claims to obtain compensation for property damage if your land has been polluted. If such claims are brought against you, we have the expertise to defend you and obtain insurance coverage if it is available.
  • Toxic torts litigation: If contamination or pollution has physically injured you or your family members, we can help you by filing civil claims to assign fault — these hold the responsible parties accountable and may allow you to obtain compensation.
  • Community and public interest lawsuits: When the government lacks the will or the resources to enforce the law, we represent community groups and individuals acting in the public interest. We can pursue injunctions, civil penalties, and other relief for violations of environmental statutes and regulations. Examples include landslide litigation and issues relating to water pollution, such as stormwater runoff.

Leaders in Environmental Law: Contact Us Today

For help with a complex personal or business environmental litigation issue, please call CLG at 503.446.6261 in Portland or send us an email.

Practice Areas

Chenoweth Law Group