Overview
Steve Heurung joined Stoel Rives in October 2008 as an environmental analyst. He has held a similar position at two other law firms since 1992. His experience includes managing environmental projects; environmental funding; and assessing the potential environmental liabilities associated with the purchase of assets, stock, or real estate.
Steve’s experience includes extensive work with Brownfields redevelopment, including investigation, remediation, liability clearance, and funding; agricultural chemical and petroleum contamination investigation, cleanup, and funding; due diligence assessment; permitting; regulatory compliance; and environmental cost recovery, including potential responsible party identification, cost allocation, and environmental insurance claims.
Prior to his legal career, Steve interned as an LBJ Fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984 and worked for two environmental policy consulting firms in Washington D.C., Dynamac Inc. and ICF Inc., from 1984 to 1991. As a staff scientist for ICF and Dynamac, he worked on various projects under contracts with the U.S. EPA to develop, assess and implement environmental protection regulations and regulatory programs. This work included providing assistance in the development of the TCLP hazardous waste characteristic procedures, implementation of regulations banning liquids from solid and hazardous waste landfills, development of a RCRA program for managing mining wastes, promotion of pollution prevention, and assessment of state groundwater protection programs.
Education
University of Minnesota, B.S., Biology, 1984
Experience
Environmental Project Management
Steve’s responsibilities involve coordination with and supervision of environmental consults. His work includes the preparation of environmental site assessment work plans, assessment reports, response action plans, and implementation reports. He also assists client’s environmental consultants in overseeing site investigation and cleanup activities. Steve prepares the required documents to secure environmental liability protection letters, determinations, and certificates. This work includes the preparation of Proposed Action letters, Affidavits establishing non-responsible party status, Affidavits identifying and describing residual contamination remaining after cleanup, and Restrictive Covenants. He is also responsible for negotiating the terms of environmental remediation agreements and liability assurance with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or other State Departments (e.g., Minnesota Department of Agriculture).
Environmental Funding Management
Steve manages environmental funding efforts for firm clients. His responsibilities involve the preparation of investigation, cleanup, and redevelopment grant applications from federal, state, or local programs. Over the last twenty years, Steve has secured over $50 million in environmental grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and U.S. EPA. Once grants have been awarded, he is responsible for managing the grants, including tracking costs eligible for grant reimbursement, coordinating local match requirements, preparing grant disbursement applications, fulfilling reporting requirements, and representing the grantee in close out audits for completed grants.
Steve assists clients with obtaining reimbursement from Minnesota’s Petrofund program and Agriculture Chemical program. This work includes hiring contractors to satisfy program requirements, tracking eligible costs and preparing reimbursement applications. He also assists with cost recovery efforts, including environmental insurance claims.
Energy and Renewable Energy Funding
Steve also provides assistance to the firm’s energy and renewable energy clients in various federal grant applications. Examples include industrial efficiency grants and Section 48C Energy Manufacturing Tax credit applications. Responsibilities include sourcing appropriate grant information, assisting with application preparation and creating detail budgets.
Insights
Insights & Presentations
- Co-presenter, “Present Minnesota Brownfields Study/Report,” Minnesota Brownfields Soil Reuse 2.0 Forum, St. Paul, MN, May 15, 2014
- Co-author, "Minnesota Chapter of Brownfields Law and Practice, “The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land,” Lexis Nexis, Publication 438, Release 33-10, 2014
- Co-author, “Soil Reuse Study,” Minnesota Brownfields, April 2014
Publications
Affiliations
Professional
- Minnesota Brownfields, a non-profit organization that promotes the current brownfields programs in the State of Minnesota and identifies policies and initiatives that can enhance these programs, Current Chair