Balch’s Grace Hembree and Claire Johnson Participate in Panel Presentations at Southeastern Environmental Law & Regulation Conference

Grace Hembree and Claire Johnson, both attorneys in the Birmingham office and members of our Environmental & Natural Resources Practice, presented at the 29th Annual Southeastern Environmental Law & Regulation Conference on June 18, 2021. 

Grace, along with other industry leaders, presented on federal regulatory updates under the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act.
Claire’s panel presentation, “Ethical Issues for Environmental Professionals” featured both environmental attorneys and consultants from across Alabama.

The conference, sponsored by the Environmental Law Section of the Alabama State Bar and the Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law of The Mississippi Bar, featured industry professionals from across the Southeast. Speakers presented on developments in PFAS, environmental due diligence, brownfields, environmental audits and disclosures, clean energy, corporate sustainability, and other current issues affecting environmental practitioners in the Southeast. Leaders from state environmental agencies in Alabama and Mississippi also presented at the conference, highlighting regulatory changes at the state level.

At Balch, Claire counsels clients navigating environmental regulatory compliance issues, environmental permitting, and environmental litigation. Claire also assists on corporate and real estate deals with environmental due diligence. Claire has experience in several different environmental arenas, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, FIFRA, NEPA, RCRA, CERCLA/Superfund and state counterparts. She has worked with EPA and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to help clients achieve desirable results in enforcement actions brought under these statutes.

Grace works on a variety of state and federal environmental matters for industrial clients, utilities, and other business interests. Grace assists clients on environmental regulatory and litigation issues. Her understanding of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and the Liability Act allows her to provide clients with legal and strategic advice to enable them to achieve their business goals.