Jeryl L.Olson

Partner

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Jeryl represents clients in complex environmental enforcement and compliance matters, as well as in environmental matters associated with real estate and corporate transactions, including those with significantly impaired properties. Jeryl provides enforcement experience in all of the major federal and state environmental programs, but is especially skilled in federal and state air enforcement cases for heavy industry.

Her enforcement experience includes:

  • Complex air quality permitting and enforcement matters under all of the major air pollution programs (PSD/NSR, NSPS, NESHAPS, RMP/PSM and Title V permitting) in a broad range of industries. She represents clients primarily in enforcement actions brought by regulatory authorities but also in citizen suits. She routinely assists clients in responding to complicated "Requests for Information" from state and federal regulators. Her substantive air permitting experience includes "greenfield development" of complex industrial facilities involving  PSD and NSR, as well as permitting of existing industrial sites undergoing modifications. Jeryl's practice often involves transfer of permits in corporate transactions and assessment of liabilities associated with air pollution risks.
  • Hazardous and solid waste permitting, compliance, and enforcement, with unique experience in RCRA Part B permitting, RCRA corrective action, and the air pollution control requirements associated with RCRA control technologies. Jeryl has substantial experience in UST compliance and remediation under variety of state programs, including claims from LUST funds, defense of clients in enforcement actions involving generator, transporter, and treatment, storage and disposal facility standards, and closure, post closure and corrective action of treatment and disposal units, as well as actions involving underground storage tank permitting, compliance, enforcement, and remediation. She defends and prosecutes RCRA citizens’ suits, and has substantial experience negotiating the transfer of RCRA liabilities, including UST liabilities associated with historic waste handling activities at sites involved in corporate transactions. Jeryl has considerable experience in "self-reporting" RCRA violations to take advantage of penalty reduction programs at the state and federal levels.
  • State and federal CERCLA actions, including cost recovery, liability allocation, and remediation. She assists clients in release reporting and response and defending actions related to releases.
  • Defense of enforcement actions brought under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, including all aspects of 304, 311, 312, and 313 reporting, as well as the OSHA Hazard Communication Employee Right to Know laws.
  •  Hazardous Substance Release Reporting (including incidents involving ammonia releases) and notifications to agencies associated with releases of hazardous substances into all media.
  • TSCA compliance, including assisting clients in pre-manufacture and significant new use reporting. She has experience in PCB disposal and remediation.
  • Water quality permitting and enforcement at federal, state, and local levels including NPDES permitting, stormwater and wetlands permitting and controls, and groundwater monitoring and remediation. In the course of corporate, lending, and real estate transactions regularly develop strategies for wetlands permitting and development.
  • Transportation of hazardous substances and PHMSA enforcement.
  • Developing Risk Management Plans and environmental compliance programs for industries utilizing large amounts of refrigerant,  and developing and supervising compliance audits.

Significant nonregulatory experience includes:

  • Negotiating insurance coverage, and coverage claims relating to environmental matters.
  • Negotiating prospective purchaser agreements, covenants not-to-sue and liability transfers in connection with acquisition and sale of contaminated properties, and in connection with businesses having substantial regulatory liabilities at the time of acquisition or divestiture.
  • Actively involved in environmental and safety due diligence of businesses and property in corporate and financial transactions, with familiarity with insurance coverage and the numerous state programs imposing remediation of contamination of real property as a condition of property transfer.
  • Prosecuting and defending environmental indemnities.
  • Conducting and negotiating voluntary disclosures of non-compliance.
  • Negotiating brownfield cleanups and redevelopment of contaminated properties under various state and federal programs.
  • Coordination and oversight of responses and document production in response to USEPA Requests for Information under federal environmental laws, and defense of subsequent actions relating thereto.

Jeryl's industry experience includes: steel, cement,  petroleum, chemicals, petrochemicals, and specialty chemicals manufacturing; pharmaceuticals and health care; coatings and adhesives manufacturing; landfills; explosives and pyrotechnics manufacturing, deactivation, and disposal; minerals and aggregates mining and processing; coke and petcoke processing and storage; and waste, metals, and scrap processing, recycling and disposal.

  • JD, DePaul University College of Law
  • Non-Degree Masters Work, Illinois Institute of Technology
    Environmental Engineering
  • BS, Valparaiso University
    Chemistry and Biology
  • Illinois