Geoffrey B. Tichenor

Experience

Geoff Tichenor is a lawyer in the Environmental Compliance section of our Environment, Land Use and Natural Resources practice group. He represents businesses and individuals in environmental litigation and regulatory enforcement actions, as well as on matters involving environmental and OSHA permitting and compliance counseling.

Geoff has experience with state and federal environmental laws, and has worked extensively with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Previously, Geoff worked with Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, Chicago, Illinois (2006) and The Collins Law Firm, Naperville, Illinois (2005-2006). He also served as a law clerk to The Honorable Lesley Wells, United States District Court, Cleveland, Ohio (2004-2005) and the Oregon Department of Justice, Natural Resources Section, Portland, Oregon (2002-2004). During law school, Geoff externed with The Honorable Lynn Adelman, United States District Court, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Summer 2003).

Representative Work

Government Action / Citizen Suits

• Defend clients in federal and state environmental enforcement actions, including negotiating civil settlements, penalties, supplemental environmental projects, and responding to information requests.
• Represent clients in responding to 60-day notice-of-intent-to-sue letters from environmental organizations.
• Develop comments for clients on proposed administrative rules, state and federal laws.
• Assist clients to voluntarily self-disclose environmental violations under federal and state audit policies.
• Represent industrial clients in resolving OSHA citations.

Compliance Counseling

• Provide regulatory compliance counseling to clients under RCRA, CAA, CWA, CERCLA, SDWA, EPCRA and FIFRA.
• Represent clients in negotiating prospective purchaser agreements with the Oregon DEQ.

Cost Recovery

• Represent clients in private environmental cost recovery actions under Oregon, Washington and federal clean-up laws.

Environmental Permitting

• Assist industrial facilities to obtain and renew wastewater discharge permits.
• Assist public wastewater treatment facility in NPDES permit renewal process.
• Assist clients to obtain WPCF permits under Oregon's Underground Injection Control Program.
• Assist municipality to renew its NPDES MS4 permit.
• Assist industrial facilities to obtain and comply with air permits.

Due Diligence / Environmental Business Transactions

• Conduct environmental due diligence in business and real estate transactions, including on behalf of parties interested in acquiring large-scale manufacturing operations, wind farms and biomass facilities.
• Draft environmental provisions of letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements and related documents in real estate transactions.
• Assist buyers to obtain coverage under environmental permits held by sellers.

Professional Honors & Activities

• Steering Committee Member, Northwest Environmental Conference
• Member, Oregon State Bar House of Delegates
• Volunteer Attorney, Multnomah County Legal Aid Services Clinic
• Member, Environmental and Natural Resources Section, Oregon State Bar Association
• Member, Sustainable Future Section, Oregon State Bar Association
• Member, Chicago Bar Association
• Member, Illinois State Bar Association
• Mentor Attorney, Multnomah County Bar Association

Presentations

• Presenter, "Environmental Law Update: The Recent Changes that You Need to Know About," Cascade Occupation Safety & Health Conference, Mar. 9, 2010
• Presenter, "(Underground Injection Control), Well What Is My Business Supposed to Do?" Stoel Rives RDE Lunch Workshop Series, Feb. 17, 2010
• Moderator, "Understanding Environmental Crimes: Practical Information for Your Business," Northwest Environmental Conference, Dec. 7, 2009
• Presenter, "President Obama's First 100 Days," Stoel Rives RDE Lunch Workshop Series, May 7, 2009
• Presenter, "Environmental Enforcement: 2008 Summary and 2009 Preview," Stoel Rives RDE Lunch Workshop Series, Feb. 19, 2009
• Moderator, "Air Quality Basics" and "Our Energy Future: Challenges to Siting Energy Infrastructure Projects in the Northwest," Northwest Environmental Conference, Dec. 8-9, 2008
• Presenter, "Air Litigation Update," Air & Waste Management Association Webinar Conference, Oct. 30, 2008
• Presenter, "Environmental Litigation Update – EP-1 Air Pollution Policy and Regulations," Air & Waste Management Association 2008 Annual Conference, Jun. 25, 2008
• Guest Lecturer, Clean Air Act Seminar, Lewis & Clark Law School, Fall 2007, 2009

Civic Activities

• Board Member and Volunteer, Portland Homeless Family Solutions
• Volunteer, Fences for Fido

Publications

• Coauthor, "Emergency Release Notification Requirements: How Soon Is Soon Enough?" ABA Environmental Enforcement Crimes Committee Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 2, Feb. 2007
• Editor, Environmental Law chapter, New York Construction Law Manual, 2d Ed., West 2006
• Monthly columnist, The Naperville Sun, 2006

Education

• Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, J.D., 2004, magna cum laude
  Public Interest Law Fellowship
  Associate editor, Environmental Law
  Cornelius Honors Society
  Certificate, Environmental and Natural Resources Law
• University of Wisconsin, B.A., 2000, with distinction
  Phi Beta Kappa
  Dean's List

Admissions

• Oregon
• Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

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