Sierra Club Reaches Legal Settlement Obligating Utilities to Clean Up Water Pollution from Coal Facilities.

On March 28, 2012, the Sierra Club, represented by the Law Offices of Charlie Tebbutt (and others), lodged a Consent Decree in the federal district court in New Mexico with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and the San Juan Coal Company (a subsidiary of BHP Billiton). The Decree is the result of a 2010 lawsuit which alleged that the companies were contaminating surface and ground water with toxic heavy metals as a result of their disposal practices of coal combustion waste. The Decree obligates the companies to spend approximately $8 million dollars on structural improvements designed to prevent the migration of pollutants to the San Juan River. The companies will also have to pay for other environmental remediation projects, as well as identifying and addressing ongoing pollution sources. “This settlement will help clean up northern New Mexico’s water after years of exposure to pollution from the San Juan Generating Station and coal mine,” said Nellis Kennedy-Howard, of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.
Read the Consent Decree. . .                 Read the Press Release. . .

Judge Orders Extensive Groundwater Monitoring of Industrial Dairy Found to Be Polluting - Agencies fail to protect public health.

In an order that sets the new standard for all industrial dairies, Nelson Faria Dairy in Royal City, Washington, will be required to do extensive groundwater, soil and surface water monitoring to determine the extent of the contamination it has already been found to be causing.  A 34 page order directs the facility to do what the agencies should have required of not only this facility, but all large industrial dairies in Washington and the United States. Read the decision . . .

Welcome to the Law Offices of Charlie Tebbutt.

Charlie is an environmental lawyer who assists communities, organizations, tribes, unions and individuals across the United States in protecting themselves and their members from industrial pollution and chemical injury and has done so for over 20 years.  Through litigation, negotiation, and  grassroots campaign building, Charlie helps his clients enforce our nation’s environmental laws and hold polluters and regulatory agencies accountable.

During his career at the Western Environmental Law Center, the Atlantic States Legal Foundation, and in private practice, Charlie has brought citizen suit and toxic tort cases concerning pollution and chemical exposure against dozens of Fortune 500 companies in more than 20 states enforcing a broad spectrum of environmental laws.  Charlie has experience with many environmental statutes, including the Clean Water Act (CWA), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Emergency Planning and Community Right To Know Act (EPCRA), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Recent cases include actions against BP and Transocean for the Gulf disaster, large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), an EPA rule that improperly attempted to exempt pesticide discharges from Clean Water Act compliance, and the coal mining industry. Charlie also represents victims of toxic chemical exposure seeking compensation for and relief from their injuries.

Charlie with John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry on This Moment on Earth booktour.

In Charlie's words "I advocate to give voice to the people whose voices are ignored or not heard and to the natural systems that have no voice."

Check out our Urgent Issues page for news and links on pressing, national environmental issues.

To inquire about legal assistance, please contact Charlie at info@charlietebbutt.com or call 541-344-3505.