Corporate Policy & Governance
In a world of new pollutants, new technologies and evolving environmental programs, it is critical that businesses stay abreast of environmental laws and develop internal policies to properly identify, communicate and address their environmental matters.
The development and consistent implementation of written corporate environmental management policies can help identify issues and prevent one-time inadvertent non-compliance from growing into repeated non-compliance that leads to government enforcement or industrial accidents. EPA penalty policies often reduce potential penalties for non-compliance if the company has a written environmental management policy.
For publicly traded corporations, missteps in handling environmental problems or disclosing material environmental matters in public filings can lead to shareholder, state or federal lawsuits. Consistency is important, as press releases can come back to haunt a company when it faces shareholders or files its quarterly and annual reports.
ELC lawyers bring the indepth understanding of environmental programs and judicial rulings to spot inadequacies in environmental management policies and disclosures. We stay on top of changes in the law and their implications for clients in various sectors in order to advise on impacts to their business.
In addition to reviewing and advising on internal environmental procedures, we regularly respond to clients’ day-to-day environmental compliance questions and help “unpack” complex regulations to find answers. When asked, we are happy to present tutorials for our clients’ environmental managers on the more complicated permitting and regulatory programs.
Representative Matters
Our notable experience in corporate policy and governance matters includes:
- Drafted, reviewed and advised on environmental statements made in quarterly and annual Securities and Exchange Commission filings for many publicly traded corporations.
- Presented webinar for publicly traded clients on new Securities Exchange Commission guidance on environmental disclosure of greenhouse gas related matters.
- Advised Fortune 500 client on corporate environmental and sustainability policies, including impact of greenhouse gas regulation in the United States.
- Developed consistent “master permit” language for Global Fortune 500 manufacturer with eight facilities in one state and provided permitting and compliance tutorials for client’s environmental managers.
- Taught fundamentals of Clean Air Act regulations and permitting at several Fortune 500 clients’ U.S. environmental managers annual meetings.