Stephen H. Armstrong

Steve represents clients in all areas of environmental law including environmental litigation, site remediation, regulatory and enforcement matters, corporate and real estate transactions, and compliance counseling. He focuses his practice in particular on litigation, regulatory and transactional issues associated with contaminated properties. He also counsels extensively on financial reporting and disclosure obligations related to environmental matters.

Prior to joining Ungaretti & Harris, Steve served as lead environmental counsel for a large diversified energy corporation with a substantial portfolio of former manufactured gas plant (“MGP”) sites. His responsibilities included site remediation, environmental litigation, regulatory matters, rate recovery proceedings and environmental financial reporting. He was also responsible for corporate environmental compliance programs, facility compliance audits, air and water permitting issues and transactional matters.

Steve’s experience includes representing utility clients in connection with:

• Defense of citizen suits brought under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at nine former MGP sites.
• Regulatory and compliance issues associated with natural gas distribution and storage facilities.
• Negotiation of consent orders for entry of eleven former MGP sites into the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (“USEPA”) Superfund Alternative Sites Program.
• Negotiation of consent decree with USEPA and related agreements with other potentially responsible parties at major Superfund site.
• Investigation and remediation of several former MGP sites under federal and state cleanup programs.
• Prosecution and defense of cost recovery claims brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) at several former MGP sites.
• Defense of CERCLA cost recovery claim at former mineral processing site.
• Participation in complex alternative dispute resolution proceeding involving cost allocation at major Superfund site.
• Procurement of new environmental insurance products and submission of claims thereunder.
• Prosecution of complex environmental insurance recovery litigation involving claims against historic comprehensive general liability insurers at several former MGP sites.
• Defense of bodily injury and property damage claims at former MGP sites and other contaminated sites.
• Rate recovery proceedings before public utility commission to recover costs incurred in connection with investigation and remediation of former MGP sites.
• Property transactions involving former MGP sites.
• Environmental financial reporting and disclosure obligations pertaining to former MGP sites.