Douglas Green chairs Venable’s Environmental practice group.  His practice focuses on complex administrative and appellate litigation, enforcement defense, and compliance counseling under the nation's environmental statutes, including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Mr. Green is lead counsel for the Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG), an association consisting of more than 110 energy industry operating companies and trade associations, including the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the American Public Power Association, and the American Gas Association.  Mr. Green has represented USWAG for more than 25 years on solid and hazardous waste and chemical compliance, reporting, and enforcement issues arising under the full spectrum of federal and many state environmental laws.

Mr. Green also represents individual clients in a variety of commercial sectors, including the chemical, building and forest products, utility, and pharmaceutical industries, on compliance, strategic planning, and enforcement defense matters.  He has performed comprehensive RCRA and TSCA compliance audits for his clients and regularly works with companies in developing and undertaking compliance self-evaluations.  Mr. Green has established important relationships with federal and state regulators that enable him to represent his clients in crafting successful solutions to complex and, often, adversarial regulatory problems.

Mr. Green was recognized in the 2008 - 2011 editions of Chambers USA (Band 3), Environment, District of Columbia, and named as a "Highly Recommended Individual" in the "Environment" section of the 2008 - 2011 editions of Which Lawyer? Yearbook.

Significant Matters

As part of his work for USWAG, Mr. Green has successfully petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a number of occasions to amend the federal hazardous waste rules to provide more cost-effective and environmentally protective regulations applicable to the utility industry.  He also has represented utilities and other trade association clients in federal court in both defending and challenging final agency rules.

On behalf of a major chemical manufacturer, Mr. Green recently negotiated a "first-of-a-kind" consent decree with EPA regarding the implementation of a comprehensive TSCA audit.