 OverviewMary joined the Firm in 2005 and has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental arena, focusing on environmental litigation, enforcement, remediation, compliance, counseling, transactional, and permitting matters. She regularly represents clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), and other federal and state agencies. Many of Mary’s clients recognize that her strong working relationships with each of these agencies allows complicated processes to move forward more quickly. Mary also represents potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims, and suits brought under various environmental statutes including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), and comparable state statutes. Mary is board certified in business bankruptcy and represents several large Environmental Bankruptcy Trusts set up by Debtors, the EPA, and Department of Justice to ensure that extremely contaminated properties are remediated. In addition, she assists and advises clients on environmental issues in real estate-related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims, regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits, annual reports, and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans. Mary’s clients appreciate that no matter how complex a situation may be, she has the ability to immediately clarify and narrow the primary deal issues so they can be adequately resolved. This, in turn, enables her to quickly address the more minor stumbling blocks in a given case. Throughout her career, Mary has developed subject matter expertise and unparalleled experience that allow her to effectively and efficiently represent major clients in their environmental affairs. Memberships
- American Bar Association, Environment, Energy, and Resources Section
- Houston Bar Association, Environmental Section (Past Chair)
- Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Past Board of Directors)
- State Bar of Texas, Environmental and Natural Resources Section (Past Chair)
OverviewMary joined the Firm in 2005 and has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental arena, focusing on environmental litigation, enforcement, remediation, compliance, counseling, transactional, and permitting matters. She regularly represents clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), and other federal and state agencies. Many of Mary’s clients recognize that her strong working relationships with each of these agencies allows complicated processes to move forward more quickly. Mary also represents potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims, and suits brought under various environmental statutes including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), and comparable state statutes. Mary is board certified in business bankruptcy and represents several large Environmental Bankruptcy Trusts set up by Debtors, the EPA, and Department of Justice to ensure that extremely contaminated properties are remediated. In addition, she assists and advises clients on environmental issues in real estate-related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims, regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits, annual reports, and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans. Mary’s clients appreciate that no matter how complex a situation may be, she has the ability to immediately clarify and narrow the primary deal issues so they can be adequately resolved. This, in turn, enables her to quickly address the more minor stumbling blocks in a given case. Throughout her career, Mary has developed subject matter expertise and unparalleled experience that allow her to effectively and efficiently represent major clients in their environmental affairs. ExperienceEnvironmental Trust Represented numerous environmental custodial trusts in negotiating Settlement Agreements and Environmental Trust Agreements in bankruptcies. Assisted with [more]Represented numerous environmental custodial trusts in negotiating Settlement Agreements and Environmental Trust Agreements in bankruptcies. Assisted with legal issues relating to the negotiation and sale of numerous Trust Assets, demolition of on-site infrastructure, coordination with regulatory agencies and the DOJ on remediation, third-party sales of assets and real property, remediation of third-party property, establishment of deed restrictions and OM&M work, public outreach initiatives, coordination with City, County and local State representatives on site use, remedial objectives, and zoning. Handled various real property issues including updating surveys, easements, and right-of-way issues, utility expansion, ad valorem tax reductions, state road construction and expansion projects, and access issues. Contracted agreements with Environmental Consultants and subcontractors, third-party buyers, real estate brokers, surveyors, and insurance companies. The trusts Mary has represented include:
- 1) The ASARCO Texas Custodial Trust
- 2) The Reichhold Environmental Response Trust
- 3) The Hovensa Environmental Response Trust
- 4) The Mississippi Phosphate Environmental Response Trust
- 5) The Exide Environmental Response Trust
- 6) The Exide Vernon Environmental Response Trust
- 7) The DeMaximus Environmental Response Trust, and
- 8) The Coeur d’ Alene Environmental Response Trust.
[less]Superfund Represents several generators at a superfund site, and also acts as Chair of the Steering Committee for the matter. Superfund Served as Common Counsel for the cooperating parties at several superfund site in Texas. These groups are comprised of large oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing [more]Served as Common Counsel for the cooperating parties at several superfund site in Texas. These groups are comprised of large oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing companies who have been determined to be “potentially responsible parties” for remediating the superfund Sites. The Munsch Hardt team leads the negotiations with the EPA, DOJ and TCEQ on the type and form of remediation at the Sites, the Consent Orders for conducting the work, managing the contractors to do the work and eventually negotiating with the federal Natural Resource Trustees for natural resource damages. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented PRP Groups as Common Counsel in both federal and state court litigation with prior and current Site owners over liability under CERCLA and Texas [more]Represented PRP Groups as Common Counsel in both federal and state court litigation with prior and current Site owners over liability under CERCLA and Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act for remedial and removal cost recovery actions. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented individual PRPs in various federal and state court litigation over CERCLA and Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act claims for remedial and removal cost recovery [more]Represented individual PRPs in various federal and state court litigation over CERCLA and Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act claims for remedial and removal cost recovery actions. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented current landowners against prior owners and operators for response costs to clean up previously contaminated properties under both state and federal statutory [more]Represented current landowners against prior owners and operators for response costs to clean up previously contaminated properties under both state and federal statutory claims and contract indemnity claims. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented PRPs in defending cost recovery claims from third party claimants for damages based on waste allegedly migrating offsite from contaminated property, including [more]Represented PRPs in defending cost recovery claims from third party claimants for damages based on waste allegedly migrating offsite from contaminated property, including property devaluation damages, nuisance and negligence. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented landowners in cost recovery claims against tenants whose operations resulted in contamination to leased property. Environmental Litigation Represented landowners in litigation brought by current tenants for purported “vapor” exposure. Environmental LitigationRepresented companies in litigation brought by environmental groups under Citizen Suit claims for Clean Water Act violations. Environmental Litigation Represented companies in litigation brought by adjacent landowners under Citizen Suit claims for RCRA violations. Environmental Litigation Representing the 53 largest principally responsible parties at a federal superfund site, as common counsel, in litigation involving the contamination at the site. Environmental Litigation Acting as co-counsel of the Steering Committee at a federal superfund site in Texas. Environmental Litigation Representing waste disposal companies in Enforcement actions brought by the EPA. Environmental Litigation Represented oil field services companies, pipeline companies, specialty waste disposal companies and manufacturers in permit violation cases. Environmental Litigation Represented the parent company of three affiliated specialty contractors in the areas of tank cleaning and waste processing, in various environmental matters. Environmental Litigation Represented several multinational oil companies in different private cost-recovery actions in Texas under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, [more]Represented several multinational oil companies in different private cost-recovery actions in Texas under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented an energy company, as defendant, in a suit to recover clean-up costs under the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act. Environmental Litigation Represented a natural gas pipeline company defending claims of more than 200 property owners for alleged contamination covering more than 70 acres in a residential and [more]Represented a natural gas pipeline company defending claims of more than 200 property owners for alleged contamination covering more than 70 acres in a residential and commercial neighborhood. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented various nationwide manufacturers’ remediation and private cost recovery superfund litigation in several states including Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, [more]Represented various nationwide manufacturers’ remediation and private cost recovery superfund litigation in several states including Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana and Arkansas. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented a major oil and gas company on compliance issues with the Migratory Bird Act and the Endangered Species Act resulting in no fines. Environmental Litigation Represented an oilfield services company with historical disposal of waste containing mercury and negotiated liability with the Alabama Department of Environmental [more]Represented an oilfield services company with historical disposal of waste containing mercury and negotiated liability with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and various subcontractors. [less]Environmental Litigation Represented a major oil and gas company in determining liability relating to superfund and other sites in Alaska.
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