Environmental Audits and Compliance Assessments

Overview

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. has conducted environmental audits and regulatory compliance assessments at hundreds of facilities, ranging from small plants to large chemical, mining and manufacturing operations.  We have been involved with virtually every legal and technical aspect of such evaluations, including planning, conducting the audit, reporting audit results, and following up on audit findings.

Our extensive environmental experience makes Beveridge & Diamond uniquely qualified to assist in the environmental audit and assessment process.  We focus on making environmental evaluations useful to our clients, leveraging the results of audits and assessments to improve operations and minimize the risk of enforcement actions and other environmental liabilities.  

Full Description

Beveridge & Diamond has conducted environmental audits and regulatory compliance assessments at hundreds of facilities, ranging from small plants to large chemical, mining and manufacturing operations and numerous refineries.  The depth and breadth of our environmental experience makes Beveridge & Diamond uniquely qualified to assist in the environmental audit and assessment process.  Our attorneys are familiar with best practices in our clients’ industries.  As many of our attorneys were formerly in government, we also know the factors considered by regulatory enforcement officials and criminal prosecutors to select targets for enforcement actions.  We focus on making environmental evaluations useful to our clients, leveraging the results of audits and assessments to improve operations and minimize the risk of enforcement actions and other environmental liabilities.  

We have assisted our clients on evaluations ranging in size from one to hundreds of sites, and have been involved with virtually every legal and technical aspect of such evaluations.

Planning. We help clients determine the scope of the review, such as whether it will cover all aspects of facility operations or only selected aspects. Our extensive knowledge of federal, state and local environmental requirements allows us to identify applicable standards, including potential future requirements, to ensure the audit evaluates the right issues. We have access to a broad network of environmental consultants who can provide the necessary technical assistance for audits and assessments, and we regularly participate in evaluating consultants and putting together the audit team. We also help clients determine whether to conduct the audit under the protection of the attorney-client privilege.

Auditing. We regularly participate in the audit process, identifying and resolving legal issues that arise as potential deficiencies are identified. Our attorneys have visited hundreds of facilities, and know what to look for when participating in an audit. We know which issues are significant and which are not, and we know the potential consequences to the company of what is discovered.

Reporting. We are skilled at writing and reviewing audit reports to ensure that they are legally and factually accurate, and that they appropriately characterize issues identified in the audit. We provide advice on whether identified issues require notification to regulatory authorities. When violations are discovered, we help our clients evaluate the pros and cons of disclosure, including disclosure under federal and state voluntary disclosure policies like EPA's Audit Policy.

Follow-up. One critical aspect of conducting environmental audits is establishing procedures for closing out matters identified in the audit. We help our clients systematically address and document the resolution of every item identified in audit reports, and institute systems to prevent recurrence in the future.