Environmental, Toxic Torts and Administrative Law

Our environmental litigation practice includes impact litigation under the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, successful challenges to unlawful rulemaking, and litigation under the Superfund law (CERCLA) for cost recovery and natural resource damages. We have successfully represented government, industry, and citizens in environmental litigation.

• Rios v. Washington Department of Labor & Industries, 145 Wn.2d 483 (2002) (represented class of Washington farm workers in statewide class action involving state pesticide protection rules; won landmark decision from Washington Supreme Court requiring agency rulemaking for medical monitoring to protect farm pesticide handlers)
• Bowers v. Southwest Air Pollution Control Authority, 103 Wash. App. 587 (2000) (obtained affirmance of first state agency decision imposing Reasonable Available Control Technology on Centralia coal-filed power plant)
• Franke Tobey Jones Home v. ASARCO Incorporated, 158 F.3d 1236 (9th 1998) (obtained dismissal of $5 million environmental claim and affirmance on appeal)
• Wing v. ASARCO Incorporated, 114 F.3d 986 (9th Cir. 1997) (negotiated class action settlement of 20,000 persons with claims of property damage from smelter emissions)
• Louisiana-Pacific v. ASARCO Incorporated, 131 Wn.2d 587 (1997) (argued issues of first impression under the Washington State Superfund law, the Model Toxics Control Act.
• Trustees for Alaska v. Municipality of Anchorage, 17 F.3d 1209 (9th Cir. 1994) (obtained summary judgment in favor of Municipality of Anchorage, affirmed on appeal, in environmental group's citizens suit under the Clean Air Act)
• Simpson Tacoma Kraft v. Department of Ecology, 119 Wn.2d 640 (1992) (obtained ruling, affirmed on appeal, invalidating Department of Ecology's Water Quality Standard for dioxin)
• Oregon Natural Resources Council v. Mohla, 944 F.2d 531 (9th Cir. 1991)
• Friends of the Earth v. Hintz, 800 F.2d 823 (9th Cir. 1986) (obtained summary judgment, affirmed on appeal, of Clean Water Act citizens suit alleging violation of a number of environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, with respect to issuance of Section 404 dredge and fill permit)