Linda Rockwood leads the firm's environmental practice. Linda focuses on environmental matters including permitting, compliance and enforcement actions, environmental audits, rulemaking, environmental litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Her practice emphasizes air quality matters, as well as remediation of contaminated properties under Superfund, corrective action programs and voluntary cleanup projects. Linda represents numerous clients in the energy and natural resources industries including public utilities, oil and gas, and mining companies.

Linda's experience includes project development, air quality, cleanup and natural resource damages claims under federal and state Superfund programs, hazardous waste, transactions and Brownfields redevelopment. Representative matters in which Linda has taken a lead role include:

• Representation of a variety of clients in air permitting and compliance counseling, including evaluation of carbon emissions and emerging issues and regulations relating to climate change.
• Resolution of numerous enforcement actions relating to violations of air, water and waste statutes and regulations including the development of supplemental environmental projects to assist in settlement
• Representation of utilities in Clean Air Act citizen suit, including lead role in settlement negotiations with the Department of Justice, federal and state regulatory agencies and environmental groups
• Acquisitions, sales and divestitures including due diligence and transactional advice
• Representation of clients in both single-party and multi-party proceedings under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the Superfund program) and similar state programs
• Chairing groups of Superfund parties in negotiations both with EPA and State agencies concerning site investigation, remedy selection and cost recovery and among the group members on cost allocation
• Defense of natural resource damage claims by federal, state and tribal trustees
• Litigation of Superfund cost recovery and contribution actions in cases brought both by governmental agencies and by private parties
• Redevelopment of major Brownfields projects
• Advice concerning release reporting obligations and emergency response, including plan preparation and reporting pursuant to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and similar state and local programs
• Disputes among predecessor and successor owners of contaminated properties, including negotiation, litigation and arbitration of claims
• Participation in proceedings regarding proposed environmental legislation and regulations and in development and drafting of new laws including Colorado's voluntary cleanup act
• Representation of industrial, energy and commercial clients in obtaining federal, state and local permits for point source and stormwater discharge permits and for hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities, including permit appeals and litigation

Honors

Professional Associations

• Environmental Law360 — Editorial Advisory Board
• American Bar Association – Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section
• Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry
• Colorado Bar Association – Environmental Law Section
• Colorado Hazardous Waste Management Society
• Denver Bar Association
• Environmental Law Institute
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation

Civic Activities

Presentations

Legal Updates

• Orange Alert: Developing Responsibilities of Natural Resource Companies for Chemical Security in an Unsafe World
  Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute, Portland, OR (2005)
• Looking for Innovative Solutions in Environmental Regulation
  Interview with SkyRadio for its Environmental Watch series that airs on the Forbes Radio channel of American Airlines passenger programming (2003)
• Air Quality Permits: Traps and Tips
  Trends (2001)
• Institutional Controls: Brownfields Superweapon or Ultimate Trojan Horse?
  Natural Resources & Environment (2000)
• Citizen Suits: Public Interest or Private Advocacy
  Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute (2000)
• RCRA Demystified: The Professional's Guide to Hazardous Waste Law (co-author)
  Environmental Law Institute (1996)
• The Alcan Decisions: Causation Through the Back Door (co-author)
  Environmental Law Reporter (1993)
• New Mines from Old: Environmental Considerations in ReMining and Processing of Waste Materials (co-author)
  Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute (1991)