22
February
Environment

Environmental Law


Ryan Whaley Coldiron Shandy is well known in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Washington, and many other states as one of the premier law firms practicing in the complex field of environmental law (as well as the closely related field of energy and natural resources).

RWCS attorneys handle all aspects and types of environmental legal work in all media (air, water, waste, etc.), including regulatory, permitting, compliance, enforcement, litigation, insurance coverage, transactions, and due diligence.

The firm has an exceptionally strong core of experienced energy and environmental attorneys, as evidenced by the firm's success in the following representative sampling of major cases over the years:

  • Hardage-Criner Superfund case, 1989-1992, Oklahoma - Mark Coldiron assembled and managed a team of mega-experts in the first litigated EPA-remedy Superfund case, helping secure a verdict for a far less costly remedy than EPA had ordered, benefiting scores of PRPs.

  • Garland Creek water quality standard matter, 1992-2001, Valliant Mill, Oklahoma - Mark Coldiron, Don Shandy, and Keith Klein represented Weyerhaeuser against EPA in this long-running dispute over dissolved oxygen levels.

  • The Lee Island project, 2000-2005, near St. Louis Missouri - Keith Klein and Don Shandy represented leading cement manufacturer Holcim against citizen groups in a variety of administrative and court challenges to a controversial project involving a wide range of environmental issues including air quality, wetlands, endangered species, and land reclamation.  See, e.g., Missouri Coalition for the Environment, et al. v. Kevin Williams, United States Army Corps of Engineers, et al., Case No. 4:03CV1074-DJS, E.D. Mo (2004)(brief written by Keith Klein).

  • Hylebos Waterway contaminated sediment CERCLA contribution case, 1997-2007, Tacoma, Washington - Mark Coldiron and Keith Klein represented Weyerhaeuser in this matter, which culminated in 2007 with a six week trial in federal court finding that raw wood is not a CERCLA hazardous substance and rejecting plaintiffs' excessive demand.  See Arkema, Inc., et al, v. Asarco, Inc., et al., Case No. C05-5087 RBL, W.D. Wash. (2007). 

  • Oklahoma poultry litigation, 2008-2010 - Steve Jantzen and Pat Ryan represented Tyson in this high-profile litigation.  See, e.g., State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., Case No. CV-329-GKF(SAJ), E.D. Okla. (2010).

  • City of Blackwell zinc contamination, 2007-2010 - Don Shandy and others in the firm obtained a $54 million settlement on behalf of our clients the City of Blackwell and the Blackwell Municipal Authority.  See City of Blackwell v. Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold, et al., Case No. CJ-2009-15-B, Kay County District Court.

  • Carbon black air emission litigation, 2004-2010, Ponca City, Oklahoma - Mark Coldiron, Keith Klein, Pat Ryan and Phillip Whaley represented Continental Carbon Company in four major successive mass toxic tort cases including a Native American landowner class action.  See, e.g., Ponca Tribe of Indians v. Continental Carbon Company et al., Case No. CIV-05-445-C, W.D. Okla. (2009).

Two name partners - Mark Coldiron and Don Shandy - are highly regarded, long-time environmental lawyers in Oklahoma and beyond.  Mark Coldiron got his start in environmental law in the late 1980s managing the Hardage Superfund case, and went on from there to handle a wide variety of environmental regulatory matters and lawsuits. 

Since the early 1990s, Don Shandy has become a nationally recognized expert in air pollution law, representing a wide range of companies in regulatory compliance, enforcement, rulemaking, and policy debates relating to air quality issues.  Don has also done significant work on other environmental issues including the City of Blackwell case (see above.) 

Keith Klein and Steve Jantzen both have master's in environmental law from George Washington University and have been involved in many of the firm's major environmental litigation cases - especially water-related cases - as well as regulatory work. 

Mike Peters handles a wide variety of air quality regulatory, compliance, and enforcement matters for large and small companies. 

As EPA initiatives and rulemaking efforts have expanded under the Obama administration - especially in the areas of air quality, water, and waste - companies face a bewildering array of new and proposed rules and guidance, increasing citizen group interest and potential opposition to projects, and stronger enforcement.  Ryan Whaley Coldiron Shandy attorneys can help you make sense of it all, position you to steer clear of trouble, and defend when a problem arises.  By talking to any of our envirornmental and energy attorneys - Don Shandy, Mark Coldiron, Keith Klein, Steve Jantzen, or Mike Peters - you can get friendly, competent, and speedy assistance with any matter. 

The following is a representative list of some of the specific environmental law areas where RWCS provides legal services, including regulatory advice, permitting, compliance and enforcement defense, transactional work, and litigation.