PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT LAWYER IN COLUMBIA, SC

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS / DEVELOPMENT:

(A Phase One or Phase Two Assessment indicates contamination on property)

Environmental issues may arise when a property owner is either purchasing, selling or developing real property.  Ormond-Dunn attorneys have over 40 years of experience in both environmental law and real property transactions and speak and write on these subjects.  Mr. Ormond has been a geologist for over 26 years in South Carolina and has worked with engineers and scientists on these issues for his entire legal career allowing efficiency in interpreting and reviewing assessments and reports by engineers and scientists.  If an environmental issue is discovered on property, we work with either the seller or buyer and there are usually a range of options.  We navigate businesses and property owners/buyers through these issues and work to assist with the most cost effective route while also protecting the client from future liability.  Even if a Phase I or II assessment finds an environmental problem, Voluntary Cleanup Agreements (VCA) and/or Brownfield contracts are not always necessary.

SOUTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSACTIONS / PERMITTING / COMPLIANCE / STORMWATER:

The attorneys at ORMOND DUNN have represented and consulted with commercial and industrial client with OSHA, DHEC, EPA, LLR regulatory compliance, with environmental due diligence in compliance programs and property transactions and well as (health and safety and DHEC audits), site remediation or cleanup and also cost-recovery matters under CERCLA (SUPERFUND).

Mr. Ormond has defended clients in enforcement actions including proposed consent or administrative orders from DHEC, LLR, OSHA, EPA including the substantive statues for South Carolina and Federal Statutes including the Federal Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, State Pollution Control Act, Underground Storage Tank Regulations and SUPERB along with the Hazardous Waste Management Act and Wetlands issues.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE IN SOUTH CAROLINA:

Businesses of moderate or even small size, if engaged in any form of manufacturing, distribution, or storage should have some level environmental compliance program.  If a business is covered by OSHA, a minimum program of compliance should be in place to, at a minimum, determine what regulatory OSHA standards apply and which do not.   We advise moderate sized and some small business on both environmental (DHEC/EPA and OSHA (SC LLR).   If your business is fined or cited by any of these agencies, the fact a program exists or will be put in place prospectively may mitigate the enforcement.

STORMWATER ISSUES AND PERMITTING:

South Carolina has a general permit for industrial / commercial sites and construction.  With development construction stormwater issues are enforced more often than in the past and DHEC/EPA will continue this trend.  Furthermore, Cities and Counties are now placing additional regulation on stormwater.   DHEC and in many instances, local government can delay, stop or fine developers and sometimes even industrial sites for failing to develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan, failing to monitor or failing to take regulatory steps to mitigate stormwater erosion and flow.

ORMOND – DUNN attorneys can assist your business with these issues and with decades of experience and a small firm overhead, we can assist you both in a cost effective and efficient manner.

COMMERCIAL – ENVIRONMENT LAW