Environmental Incident Response / Environmental Crisis Management

The first few hours and days of an environmental, health, and safety (“EH&S”) incident are the most critical.  There is much to do:  timely reporting of the spill or release to proper authorities; stopping the fire or spill and mitigating any environmental harm; retaining experts to conduct needed water or air monitoring; addressing employee concerns; retaining experts to conduct privileged reviews including cause and origin investigations; developing and implementing effective communications plans; understanding insurance implications including notifying carriers; and much more.  Regulators—such as EPA, state agencies, OSHA, ATF, NTSB—insurance adjusters, and plaintiffs’ counsel can be counted on to descend within days of an incident.  We know how to help clients prepare for both and stay a step ahead.

Our EH&S team has extensive, on-the-ground experience guiding clients through these crises.  We work closely with technical staff and operations personnel to address the physical and legal implications of such incidents, which are inextricably intertwined.  We also lead by working with our clients to prepare for crises, including conducting audits, regulatory reviews, and developing critical tools such as communications plans and emergency response plans.