Pipelines

We have served as lead environmental counsel to major interstate and intra-state natural gas and petroleum pipeline companies. We have assisted our clients in building new lines and converting existing pipelines from crude to refined petroleum products. Our work has covered the entire FERC-administered siting process for interstate natural gas lines. We have been integrally involved in implementation of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, and have represented the petroleum pipeline industry in efforts to reconcile Office of Pipeline Safety inspection and repair requirements with the time-lines and decision processes of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service that can apply to pipeline safety-related activities on public and private lands. In several instances, we have been retained by pipeline clients to assist with OPA 90 enforcement and other compliance matters in the wake of releases and other problems, some of which were quite severe and subject to intense public and regulatory attention. In all our representations, but particularly in those cases where pipelines have had operational or compliance problems, we have worked to build effective, reliable relationships between our clients and appropriate regulatory authorities and other public interests. We have provided advice to the pipeline industry on federal eminent domain authority, siting and build-out or replacement of inter and intra-state pipelines including state permitting requirements and have been active in agency and legislative lobbying activities.

We have assisted our pipeline clients in every aspect of pipeline siting on both public and private lands, including strategic planning, acquisition of rights-of-way and other special use permits, utility commission approvals, Endangered Species Act compliance, community relations, affected interest negotiations, and lobbying.