Lawyer Bio : Richard E. Morton

Experience in defense of various toxic tort and class action claims for personal injury and property damage from benzene, chlorinated solvents, metals, particulates, petroleum and other products

• Defense of EPA and state agency enforcement actions for alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act; Solid Waste Disposal Act; Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act and groundwater protection standards 
• Manages regulatory, permitting and labeling matters before state environmental agencies, utility commissions, departments of agriculture and licensing boards.
• Represents renewable energy project developers before the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
• Representation against claims that effluent from a chemical facility damaged private and public wastewater treatment plants 
• Defense of property damage claims resulting from historic phosphate mining operations 
• Defense of oil refiners in mass actions and putative class actions alleging widespread property damage and personal injury from a gasoline additive 
• Representation of an independent power producer before the North Carolina Utilities Commission and the South Carolina Public Services Commission 
• Defense of an oil refiner against putative class action claims that air emissions and groundwater contamination associated with a bulk petroleum distribution terminal had caused adverse medical conditions and permanent damage to residential property 
• Represents refiners and distributors in cases involving releases from ASTs and USTs 
• Defense of international insurance syndicates in a declaratory judgment action brought by a large chemical manufacturer to recovery remediation costs at over 100 sites worldwide 
• Defense of individual PRPs and PRP groups in CERCLA cost recovery actions 
• Represents commercial real estate developers and property owners in cases regarding storm water runoff, sedimentation controls and water intrusion. 
• Conducts environmental compliance audits of manufacturing plants, textile facilities, waste disposal sites, service stations, bulk petroleum terminals and other industrial locations 
• Helps purchasers, sellers and lenders identify, quantify and allocate environmental risks associated with transaction such as real property sales, mergers and acquisitions 
• Advises clients regarding permitting requirements at a variety of industrial facilities including manufacturing plants, power plants, petroleum terminals and landfills 
• Assists responsible parties in complying with site investigation and remediation obligations 
• Extensive experience in Brownfield projects, voluntary clean up programs and other redevelopment initiatives 
• Experience in water resource management and water product labeling