Environmental, Natural Resources, Health & Safety

We work with Federal and State agencies on regulatory development and enforcement, and licensing regarding all major environmental programs. We appear in court for civil and criminal enforcement, judicial appeals, and environmental incident-related cases. Collaborating with environmental engineering firms, we resolve technical and legal challenges, particularly in EHS audits.

We provide legal support to individuals, municipalities, and companies across the energy, chemical, transportation, public utility, and recycling industries. Our proven success includes:

• Leading the first State and EPA permitting of a commercial hazardous waste incinerator in the U.S. by addressing major permitting and compliance issues.
• Resolving a Harris County criminal matter without a guilty plea using a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) – a first-of-its-kind use in Harris County.
• Successfully upholding in the federal district and appellate courts a Corps of Engineers 404 permit issued to an oil export facility.
• Closing deals with environmentally challenged properties by providing language in transaction documents to facilitate the transfer of real property and address remediation responsibilities.
• Assisting a family in making real property both a wetlands mitigation bank and a below-ground location for carbon sequestration.
• Using the Texas EHS Audit Program to resolve noncompliance matters without enforcement.
• Demonstrating that a company sold valuable products to a facility, thus successfully eliminating liability under CERCLA and corresponding state law.
• Obtaining millions in settlements for PRP groups and others for cost recovery at CERCLA and state Superfund sites.
• Obtaining summary judgments, victorious jury verdicts, or well below defense cost settlements in toxic tort cases.
• Defeating class certification requests in toxic tort cases.
• Achieving national and local recognition for our practice by prestigious organizations, including Chambers, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.

Why Do Environmental Clients Choose Us?

Crain Caton & James consistently provides creative solutions based on proven expertise and decades of experience in environmental law. Creative solutions come from a client-centered approach, delivering tailored legal solutions to individuals, municipalities, and companies across various industries. We effectively address complex technical and legal challenges by partnering with excellent, cost-effective environmental engineering firms. Our comprehensive services include representation in State and Federal courts and agencies for various environmental issues.