Environmental & Land Use Law

Environmental & Land Use Law

Michel & Associates, P.C. represents businesses, public entities, landowners, developers, organizations, and individuals in complex environmental, land-use, permitting, regulatory, and property-related matters.

Our attorneys advise and represent clients in matters involving zoning, planning and permitting, coastal development, noise regulation, water and soil conditions, contaminated property, Brownfields, CEQA and NEPA compliance, CERCLA and Superfund matters, hazardous-materials regulation, and related administrative and judicial proceedings.

We appear before planning commissions, city councils, county boards, the California Coastal Commission, administrative agencies, regulatory bodies, and state and federal courts.

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting, and Development

Environmental and land-use matters frequently involve overlapping legal, technical, governmental, and business issues.

Michel & Associates helps clients navigate those issues strategically, whether the objective is to obtain an approval, maintain compliance, respond to an enforcement action, challenge a governmental decision, resolve a dispute, or protect the long-term use of property or facilities.

Our work includes:

• zoning and conditional use permits;
• planning and development approvals;
• coastal development and permitting;
• CEQA and NEPA compliance and litigation;
• noise and nuisance disputes;
• contaminated property and site remediation;
• Brownfield redevelopment;
• CERCLA and Superfund liability;
• RCRA compliance;
• Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act matters;
• Proposition 65;
• Endangered Species Act issues;
• hazardous-materials management;
• administrative hearings and enforcement proceedings;
• environmental inspections and corrective actions;
• water, drainage, and stormwater issues;
• construction and design-related regulatory matters.

Complex Environmental Matters

The firm’s attorneys have experience with significant environmental disputes, regulatory proceedings, contamination matters, environmental review, and litigation involving public agencies and private parties. That experience includes work arising from major environmental incidents, contaminated-property matters, hazardous-material regulation, natural-resource issues, and disputes involving the interaction between environmental regulation and land use.

The environmental experience brought to the firm by its attorneys has included work involving:

• the Exxon Valdez oil spill;
• Chromium VI contamination litigation associated with the Erin Brockovich cases;
• the OII Superfund Site;
• the Denova Environmental Superfund Site;
• the Santa Margarita River adjudication;
• the Times Beach/Syntech dioxin cost-allocation matter.

C.D. Michel’s earlier environmental litigation experience included work involving matters arising from the Exxon Valdez oil spill while practicing at O’Melveny & Myers. The firm’s current environmental practice draws on that background together with decades of experience representing businesses, property owners, public entities, nonprofit organizations, ranges, and other regulated parties.

Technical and Multidisciplinary Representation

Environmental and land-use matters often require expertise beyond legal analysis alone.

When appropriate, Michel & Associates works with environmental consultants, engineers, scientists, remediation professionals, acoustical experts, range-safety specialists, investigators, and other technical professionals.

These experts can assist in evaluating evidence, assessing regulatory exposure, developing compliance strategies, preparing permit applications, responding to agency concerns, and presenting complicated technical issues effectively.

Environmental & Land Use Issues Affecting Shooting Ranges

Michel & Associates has substantial experience advising shooting ranges and shooting clubs on the environmental, land-use, and regulatory issues that can affect their operations.

These matters often involve a combination of zoning, conditional use permits, environmental regulation, lead management, noise, stormwater, range design, safety requirements, and firearms law.

We advise range owners and operators on matters including:

• zoning and conditional use permits;
• environmental compliance;
• lead management and reclamation;
• stormwater and drainage;
• noise regulation and acoustical issues;
• range design and safety;
• regulatory inspections and enforcement;
• signage, waivers, and operational policies;
• FFL-related issues;
• training and range procedures.

We also coordinate with environmental consultants, acoustical engineers, lead-reclamation specialists, range-safety professionals, and other experts when appropriate.

Practical, Strategic Representation

Whether a client is seeking a development approval, defending against an enforcement action, addressing contamination, challenging a governmental decision, or resolving a land-use dispute, Michel & Associates focuses on the client’s practical objectives as well as the governing law.

Our goal is to develop strategies that account for legal requirements, technical realities, regulatory risk, operational needs, and long-term financial consequences.