Cascadia Law Group

Environmental Attorneys in Seattle, Olympia, and Winthrop

Rodney L. Brown, Jr.

Partner
Seattle
direct: (206) 292-2605
rbrown@cascadialaw.com

Rod's practice focuses on environmental and land use law issues relating to natural resources, transportation megaprojects, energy and other project permitting, hazardous waste, climate change, and pollution control. He founded Cascadia Law Group and its predecessor in 1996.

Professional:

  • Principal author of Washington’s Superfund law, the Model Toxics Control Act.  Member of the Washington Department of Ecology work group that drafted the implementing regulations in 1989; and member of the MTCA Policy Advisory Committee, which recently reviewed MTCA for the Washington Legislature and the Department of Ecology.

  • Represent potentially responsible parties at federal and state Superfund hazardous waste sites. Clients have included owners and operators of sites and generators and transporters of waste from a broad range of industries. Representation includes negotiation of cleanups, cost allocation, and natural resource damages.

  • Environmental review of transportation megaprojects. Member of the Department of Transportation Expert Review Panel, charged with evaluating the Alaskan Way Viaduct, SR 520 Bridge, and Columbia River Crossing projects.

  • Represent clients in both preparing and challenging Environmental Impact Statements for a broad variety of projects.

  • Advise industrial and governmental clients about compliance with pollution control and waste management regulations, including negotiation of enforcement and corrective action with governmental agencies.

  • Assisted the City of Yakima in reaching a SEPA settlement with the Washington State Department of Transportation relating to the proposed State Route 24 Highway and Bridge Improvements Project.

  • Mediator of construction and environmental dispute over Sound Transit light rail line.

  • Mediator among several state and federal agencies (Ecology, DNR, EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) over the siting of a Multi-User Sediment Disposal Site.

  • Member of the mediation team for the Spokane River TMDL Collaboration.

Accolades:

  • The only environmental lawyer in the region named a "Star Individual" by Chambers USA, one of seven environmental "Star Individuals" in the United States. Chambers described Rod as a "superb, highly talented practitioner" who excels equally at environmental transactions and litigation, and whose clients particularly appreciate his "smart, fair and straightforward" style and recognize him as a "wonderful top-tier lawyer", "effective with both state and federal regulators."

  • Elected to the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

  • Named 2010 Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers for environmental law in Seattle.

  • One of the few attorneys named a Best Lawyer In America for ten years or more.

  • Perenially among the top 10 vote recipients in the list of regional "Super Lawyers" compiled by Thomson Reuters.

  • Named a Best Lawyer in the Puget Sound region by Seattle magazine; listed among the three best environmental/land use lawyers in the region by Seattle Business Monthly.

Bar and Civic Activities:

  • Member, Connecting Washington Task Force, appointed by Governor Gregoire to formulate a ten-year sustainable investment strategy for the state’s transportation system, tying system needs and priorities to new revenue (2011 - present)

  • Member, Board of Directors, Portland General Electric, Oregon’s largest utility, a national leader in addressing climate change by implementing cleaner energy practices (2007 - present)

  • Member, Governor's Committee on Transforming Washington's Budget, to serve as a sounding and advisory board questioning assumptions underlying the state budget (2010 - present)

  • Fellow, American College of Environmental Lawyers (2009 - present)

  • President, Washington Environmental Council (2008 -  present)

  • Trustee, Bullitt Foundation (2011 - present)

  • Member, Climate Action Team, appointed by Governor Gregoire to reduce the state’s contribution to the pollution that leads to climate change, grow Washington’s clean energy economy, and move toward energy independence (2007 - present)

  • Advisory Committee Director, Climate Change Registry (2007 - 2008)

  • Member, Regulatory Performance Advisory Group (appointed by the Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology) (2002 - present)

  • Member, Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (appointed by Governor Locke) (1999 - 2001)

  • Member, Washington State Regulatory Reform Task Force (appointed by Governor Lowry) (1993 - 1995)

  • Member, Washington State Growth Strategies Commission (appointed by Governor Gardner) (1989 - 1991)

  • Member, Model Toxics Control Act Policy Advisory Committee (appointed by Washington State Legislature and Washington Department of Ecology) (1995 - 2001)

  • Member, Cascade Agenda Leadership Team, Cascade Land Conservancy (2008)

  • Board of Directors, Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (1990 - present, including two terms as President from 1993 - 1999)

  • Board of Directors, Environmental & Land Use Section, Washington State Bar Association (1991 - 1994)

  • Editor, Newsletter for the Environmental & Land Use Section, Washington State Bar Association (1989 - 1991)

  • Board of Directors, Washington Environmental Council (1986 - 1997 and 2002 - present)

  • Board of Directors, Washington Conservation Voters (2009 - present)

  • Trustee, Northwest Fund for the Environment (2000 - 2006, including a term as President from 2004 - 2006)

  • Board of Directors, 1000 Friends of Washington (now Futurewise) (1992 - 1997)

  • Attorney Volunteer, Southeast Seattle Legal Clinic (1983 - 1993, including a term as Clinic Coordinator from 1986 - 1987)

Recent Publications and Presentations:

  • Presenter, "Integrating SEPA/NEPA and Historic Preservation in Permitting for Energy Projects," Environmental Challenges for Energy Projects Seminar, Seattle, WA (May 13, 2011)

  • Co-Chair and Presenter, Annual Model Toxics Control Act Workshop, Seattle, WA (2006 - present)

  • Author, "Should We Go Nuclear - Again?", American College of Environmental Lawyers Blog (November 2010): http://www.acoel.org/post/2010/11/29/Should-We-Go-Nuclear-Again-.aspx (external link)

  • Co-Chair and Presenter, Annual Advanced SEPA and NEPA Workshop, Seattle, WA (2005 - present)

  • Author, "EPA Tries to Silence Employees Who (Weakly) Criticize Cap and Trade", American College of Environmental Lawyers Blog  (November 2009): http://www.acoel.org/post/2009/11/11/EPA-Tries-to-Silence-Employees-Who-(Weakly)-Criticize-Cap-And-Trade-.aspx (external link)

  • Author, "NEPA: Still Evolving After 35 Years: Cumulative Impact, Adaptive Management Gain Importance," Washington Environmental Insider Magazine (March 2005)

  • Presenter, "Sustainable Growth in a Low-Carbon Economy," Legal and Regulatory Issues in Green Development, Seattle, WA (January 22-23, 2009)

  • Presenter, "Legislative Wrap-Up," 2nd Annual UW School of Law Climate Change Conference: Solutions for the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, WA (May 2, 2008)

  • Presenter, "Urban Residential Redevelopment Case Studies: Model Hypothetical Cases With Traditional Issues," Conference on Residential and Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Contaminated Property, Seattle, WA (March 26, 2008)

  • Presenter, "U.S. Environmental Law," Environmental Issues for the Energy Industry Conference, Vancouver, BC (September 17-18, 2007)

  • Presenter, "CERCLA, MTCA, and the Clean Water Act," Washington Environmental Cleanup Conference, Seattle, WA (June 15, 2007)