Overview

Ankur Tohan is an experienced advisor who helps clients manage their interests in energy infrastructure projects and natural resource development. With a primary focus on renewable energy and carbon management, Ankur supports clients with matters related to permitting, compliance, citizen and governmental enforcement actions, and navigating regulatory challenges. His work spans renewable and conventional power, infrastructure development, carbon capture and sequestration, waste-to-energy projects, and carbon credit transactions.

Ankur advises across a wide spectrum of federal and state environmental, permitting, and enforcement regimes related to wildlife and natural resource management, pollution control, and hazardous waste cleanup. He regularly works with clients on matters involving cornerstone statutes such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, Clean Air Act (CAA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Washington’s Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

Before joining Stoel Rives, Ankur was a partner in a multinational corporate law firm. Earlier in his career, he was an assistant regional counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and an assistant attorney general with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

Education

Lewis & Clark Law School, J.D., 2005

University of Wisconsin–Madison, M.S., Geography, 2000

University of Vermont, B.A., 1992

Admissions

Washington

Oregon

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

Supreme Court of the United States

Languages

  • Spanish

Experience

  • Advised wind energy developer with a federal enforcement action related to alleged violations of BGEPA and MBTA.
  • Advised timberlands landowner in negotiating a contract for the development of carbon credits related to biochar production and use.
  • Advised timberland landowners with permitting related to incidental take permit authorization and conservation benefit agreements under the ESA.
  • Advised large agricultural landowner in evaluating and negotiating a long-term lease agreement with a geological carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project developer seeking rights to subsurface pore space and surface access for CO2 injection project development.
  • Advised client in the operation and regulatory compliance, under the CAA, CWA, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), of a renewable natural gas processing facility.
  • Advised developer of renewable natural gas (RNG) with the development, permitting and compliance of RNG plants, related to wastewater treatment facilities, in Washington.
  • Advised paper company in negotiating and drafting a Carbon Credit Agreement for the transfer and sale of carbon allowances under Washington's Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
  • Advised natural gas power plant operator in obtaining permit for a set of UIC Class I injection wells for the disposal of process wastewater in California.
  • Advised industrial clients with negotiating settlements for historic liability related to claims under the MTCA and CERCLA at sediment and upland sites.
  • Advised manufacturer of home and commercial building materials with comments on compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws across the United States.
  • Advised private port developer throughout the acquisition, development, construction, and permitting phases for an offshore wind operation and maintenance facility in California.
  • Advised client with negotiating a settlement with EPA related to an Oil Pollution Act violation related to a train derailment in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Represented landfill operator in federal litigation concerning contract dispute over ownership of environmental attributes associated with the sale and processing of landfill gas into renewable natural gas and sale of renewable identification numbers under EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard and California's low carbon fuel standard.
  • Advised client in the acquisition of a MTCA-listed, contaminated property and development and permitting, under the CAA, RCRA, and CWA, of an industrial facility on that site.
  • Advised Alaskan fish processor with vessel engine upgrade and compliance with the CAA, Tier 4 engine requirements.
  • Advised California solar developer with development and negotiation of an incidental take permit and habitat conservation plan under the ESA for take of desert tortoise.
  • Advised multinational energy company on due diligence and negotiations involving multimillion-dollar acquisition of carbon reduction units through an emission reduction purchase agreement.
  • Advised fuel producer and exporter on compliance and related litigation regarding distribution of “Compliance Instruments” under Oregon’s Climate Protection Plan.
  • Advised independent renewable energy power producer in siting, permitting, and development of utility-scale battery storage facility in Washington State.
  • Advised global coffee retailer in negotiating contracts for international carbon capture projects to achieve company mission to achieve carbon neutrality.
  • Advised U.S.-based agricultural services entity in negotiating contracts for sustainable cotton production and CCS credits.
  • Advised U.S.-based agricultural entity in negotiating contracts for geologic CCS project on operating farms in California, Indiana, and Illinois.
  • Advised agricultural entities in achieving compliance with Washington State’s Carbon Commitment Act.
  • Advised offshore wind developer to secure emission offset credits related to CAA, Title V, requirements for operation of offshore wind facility in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Advised CCS entity on all phases of development of geological sequestration projects in Washington and Oregon.
  • Advised bulk carrier entity on Superfund litigation involving issues related to divisible liability and corporate veil piercing as well as agency theories.
  • Advised housing material manufacturer on land use and permitting related to expanding an operating mine in Washington.
  • Advised timber and wood products entity on complex litigation focused on NPDES permit challenge and indemnification claims related to same.
  • Advised wind energy developer in establishing a first of its kind gray bat mitigation bank for the sale of ESA mitigation credits.
  • Advised renewable energy developer on BLM leasing, along with federal permitting, for wind and solar development of federal lands.
  • Advised waste and energy facility on rulemaking and compliance with Washington's CCA.
  • Advised wind energy developer in securing right of way for power transmission line across federal land.
  • Advised Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility on permitting for large scale CCS project.

Insights

Insights & Presentations

  • Panelist, “A Tale of Two Voices: Rising controversies around ESG strategy in the United States,” Environmental, Social and Governance Symposium, University of Washington–Global Business Law Institute, November 3, 2023
  • Presenter, “Carbon Capture and Storage Overview,” Farmland Capital Alliance, September 13, 2023
  • Moderator, “Offshore Wind: Ports and Supply Chain Development,” Offshore Wind Executive Summit: The Parallels of Wind, Oil, & Gas, November 8, 2022
  • Presenter, “Workshop on Inflation Reduction Act Opportunities for Renewable Energy,” Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, Webinar Series, September 27, 2022
  • Moderator and presenter, “Offshore Wind: Nuts, Bolts, and the Pacific,” Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition, NIPPC Annual Meeting, September 12, 2022
  • Host and presenter, “OSW Permitting and Approvals,” Oregon’s Energy Future Offshore Wind Symposium, Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC), September 8, 2022
  • Host and presenter, “Energy Transition and Environmental Markets in the 2020s: A Strategic Review and Executive Networking Event,” Pacific Northwest Environmental Industry Summit VI, July 20, 2022
  • Presenter, “Developing Renewable Energy Projects on Timberlands,” Timberlands Virtual Event, May 2022
  • Presenter, “Litigation Developments Endangered Species Act,” The Seminar Group, January 2022
  • Presenter, “Harnessing the Potential: Offshore Wind Energy on the West Coast,” Energy Leadership Summit, NEBC, November 2021
  • Presenter, “Applying 45-Q to RNG, Biomass and Beyond,” Carbon Capture and Carbon to Value Virtual Conference, July 2021
  • Moderator, “Fires in the Pacific Northwest – Environmental Issues, Water Contamination, Endangered Species,” The Seminar Group, April 2021
  • Presenter, “Greenhouse Gas Assessments for Projects (GAP) Rulemaking,” WSBA Environmental & Land Use Law Section, Midyear Seminar, April 2021
  • Program co-chair, “Floodplain Regulation: Development in Oregon & Washington Public Ports,” The Seminar Group, four-part series, February–March 2021
  • Moderator, “Update from the New Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology,” NEBC, February 2021
  • Moderator, “The Equity Imperative: Advancing Environmental Justice in the Clean Energy Economy," Leadership Summit, Clean Tech Alliance and NEBC, November 2020
  • Presenter, “SEPA Policy Update: Greenhouse Gas Assessments for Projects (GAP) Rulemaking,” Remediation Conference, NEBC, October 2020
  • Presenter, “Next Generation Infrastructure,” Washington Public Ports Association Environmental Seminar, September 2019
  • Moderator, “Natural Gas: Reckoning With The Future,” NIPPC Annual Meeting, September 2019
  • Presenter, “SEPA & NEPA The Developer's Perspective,” The 16th Annual Intensive One-Day Seminar on SEPA & NEPA, January 2019
  • Presenter, “Energy Flow & The Dormant Commerce Clause,” The Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition (NIPPC) Annual Meeting, October 2018
  • Presenter, “Carbon Regimes in Washington and California,” Oregon Farm Bureau, September 2018
  • Presenter, “Renewable Energy Workshop—The Secret Sauce in Renewable Energy: Competition,” June 2018
  • Presenter, “Wetlands in Washington,” Law Seminars International, May 2018
  • Presenter, “The Mighty Columbia,” The Seminar Group, March 2018
  • Presenter, “Citizen Suits: The nuts and bolts for bringing and defending against private enforcement actions,” Law Seminars International, February 2018
  • Presenter, “Impact on Washington of the 2016 Election and Clean Water Policy and Enforcement Priorities at the Federal Level,” Law Seminars International, June 2017
  • Presenter, “Can Trump Dismantle the EPA as Promised?" Environmental Law in the Trump Administration, The Seminar Group, March 2017
  • Presenter, “The Department of Interior/Commerce in the Trump Era,” Environmental Law in the Trump Administration, The Seminar Group, March 2017
  • Presenter, “Wetlands, Permitting, Case Law Update (Dairy and Manure; Downstream Impacts),” The Seminar Group Agriculture Law Seminar, February 2017
  • Presenter, “Energy Infrastructure and Carbon Policy: Impacts & Opportunities,” NIPPC Annual Meeting, 2016
  • Presenter, “Legislative, Regulatory and Section 4 Update,” Endangered Species Act Conference, 2016
  • Presenter, “Washington’s Energy Future Conference,” NEBC, 2015
  • Presenter, “Permitting Strategies for Large, Controversial Projects in Washington State and the Northwest,” The Seminar Group, 2015
  • Presenter, “Buying & Selling Electric Power in the West: Regulating Interstate Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gases,” Law Seminars International CLE, 2015

Recognition

  • Named by Best Lawyers® as Energy Regulatory Law “Lawyer of the Year,” Seattle, 2025, 2026; and Natural Resources Law “Lawyer of the Year,” Seattle, 2025
  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America® (Energy Law, Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Natural Resources Law), 2023–present
  • Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Washington) by Chambers USA (Environment), 2017–present
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Recommended Lawyer, 2024–present
    • Environment: Litigation
    • Environment: Regulatory
    • Environment: Transactional
  • Listed in the Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law, 2025
  • Listed in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2023–present

Affiliations

Professional

  • Clean-Water Act Handbook, Pre-Treatment and Indirect Dischargers, contributor, and editor
  • ELI–Law of Environmental Protection, Clean Water Act, editor
  • Washington State Bar Association, Environmental and Land Use Section, Newsletter editor
  • Cleantech Alliance’s Washington Energy Carbon Advancement Network (WECAN), Advisory Board Member
  • Northwest Environmental Business Council, Board of Directors (former)
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