Elisabeth R. Gunther

Elisabeth’s experience and practice areas cover the major federal environmental statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). She has worked in both private practice and for public agencies.

Elisabeth’s experience informs her insight on the California regulatory landscape. She has represented a range of clients and focuses her practice on entitlement and compliance with California’s complex environmental laws, statutes, and regulations. She has experience before the Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as well as local and regional air quality management districts. She also has experience entitling complex projects under the California Environmental Quality Act. She is knowledgeable regarding California’s extensive regulations for hazardous materials, occupational safety and health, solid and medical waste, and biosafety and laboratories, as well as regarding local land use and zoning laws and the protection and preservation of historic and cultural resources, including Native American artifacts and sacred sites, coastal development, and wetlands and streambeds.

• Led entitlement of new university campus and subsequent expansion through innovative P3 delivery model.
• Completed environmental review and entitlement of a wide range of public projects and development, including campus facilities and major medical centers.
• Provided land use advice and environmental counsel for expansion of municipal infrastructure, including airport runway and transportation infrastructure.
• Counsel on land use and environmental matters to major public university system and local municipal departments, including Office of Environmental Review, Public Works, Planning Department and Commission, and Board of Public Utilities.
• Oversight of agency public records, information practices and privacy programs.
• Land use advice and environmental review of long range development plans for five university campuses and national laboratory.
• Land use advice, environmental review and permitting for initial development of university campus in sensitive species habitat and wetlands area.
• Environmental review and permitting of expansion of petroleum refinery, chip fabrication units, municipal solid waste and biomass alternative energy facilities, campus facilities, commercial residential and campus housing, and medical facilities.
• Environmental review and permitting and ongoing compliance counseling and regulatory interface for operating hazardous and solid waste landfills.
• Oversight and advice on site clean-ups, including petroleum contamination remediation sites and major Superfund sites.
• Due diligence for corporate and real estate transactions.
• Compliance counseling under California air regulations, administrative hearings and settlement negotiations, including local air district variance and enforcement actions.
• Development of and compliance with habitat plans and natural resource permits, including Section 404 permits, biological opinions, and Section 1600 and incidental take permits.
• Development of oil spill prevention plans for pipeline and marine terminal.

• Past Chair of the State Bar Environmental Law Section