Rebecca L. Almon
Director
- Barb Gregory
303-628-3678
bgregory@irelandstapleton.comEmail Barb
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Rebecca Almon leads Ireland Stapleton’s Environmental Practice Group.
In her practice, Becky represents both public and private companies across the country and local governments in all aspects of environmental regulation, including federal, state and local permitting; compliance; enforcement matters; water quality and wetlands protection; and environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions.
Becky advises clients with respect to remediation and mitigation pursuant to CERCLA, Brownfields development, and state voluntary clean-up programs; compliance with the Colorado Department of Labor’s Oil and Public Safety regulations; as well as transportation, storage, and disposal issues relating to RCRA. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, including one of the largest paint manufacturers in North America, as well as one of the largest pipeline transportation and energy storage companies in the U.S. She regularly advises local businesses, governmental entities, banks, landowners, and developers.
Becky also negotiates application for and implementation of NEPA compliance documents on behalf of both client applicants and project opponents. She has represented a governmental entity relating to its environmental and land use issues involving NEPA compliance with one of the state’s largest highway transportation projects; represented a client on NEPA issues surrounding one of Colorado’s largest transmission projects; and has represented several clients with NEPA compliance issues at proposed ski resort projects throughout Colorado.
Additionally, her comprehensive knowledge and experience with the regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act and National Historic Preservation Act provides her with a unique ability to evaluate and navigate the many environmental issues associated with business transactions. Becky also counsels clients on environmental corporate compliance, due diligence, and sustainability issues, providing guidance on various matters relating to corporate mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, and indemnification agreements.
As a former Illinois Assistant Attorney General, Becky prosecuted civil environmental protection violations on behalf of the Illinois EPA, Department of Public Health and Department of Natural Resources.
Admissions
- Colorado
- Illinois
Education
- J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1992, Graduate of Environmental & Energy Law Program, Departmental Honors & Dean’s List, Recipient of Webster-Burke Academic Scholarship
- B.S., Boston University, Political Science, 1988, cum laude
Honors & Awards
- Selected to The Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law and Real Estate, 2018-2025
- Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers® for Environmental Law, 2014-2023
- Selected to Chambers USA for Environmental Law
- Recognized by Law Week Colorado as Barrister’s Best for Environmental Law
- Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers’® List of Top 50 Women, 2014
- Selected to Law Week Colorado’s “Top Women Lawyers,” 2011
- Represent Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser developer of Superfund site through Remediation
- Investigation, Human Health Risk Assessment, and Feasibility Study pursuant to CERCLA remediation. Negotiate all Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements, negotiate Administrative Order on Consent and liability protection for client
- Represent Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser developer in compliance with RCRA, CWA, NEPA regulations, CAA, NHPA, and local land use requirements affiliated with Superfund site redevelopment
- Represent Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser developer with regard to the National Historic Preservation Act compliance and mitigation of impacts resulting from development. Advise client regarding activities that trigger the federal Section 106 process, facilitate inventory of cultural resources, and consult with State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) regarding undertakings that could affect historic properties
- Represent and advise multiple Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser developer clients regarding Brownfield redevelopment pursuant to state voluntary clean-up programs
- Advise and evaluate environmental risks and liabilities for private and public entities on matters relating to real estate transactions, corporate structure to mitigate environmental liability, environmental provisions of loan agreements, contract and title issues, environmental insurance policies, and indemnifications agreements
- Represent Colorado County regarding environmental due diligence and NEPA compliance with respect to the state’s largest transportation infrastructure project
- Represent Colorado County regarding its environmental due diligence in real estate transactions and cleanup and redevelopment of impacted properties
- Represent Colorado County regarding NEPA compliance issues relating to ski area development and land exchange with US Forest Service
- Represent landowner clients in all aspects of water quality protection and regulation, stormwater and drainage issues, groundwater quality protection, and wetlands and riparian protection
- Represent and advise landowner and developer clients regarding natural resources conservation and protection, natural resources damage claims, conservation easements, land use, and institutional controls applicable to development on impacted properties
- Represent developer client to negotiate Administrative Order on Consent, Biological Assessments per the ESA, and liability protection provisions regarding protected species impacts
- Review and negotiate NEPA review procedures for proposed real estate and transmission line development project subject to federal funding or permitting
- Work closely with US EPA, Department of Justice, Army Corps of Engineers, CDPHE, SHPO, and other agencies to ensure client compliance, secure permits, and provide advice regarding regulatory demands and investigations
- Represent clients before federal and state environmental agencies in connection with compliance matters, permit proceedings, response actions to environmental contamination, and liability, allocation and remedy issues at federal Superfund sites
- Represent clients regarding civil and criminal environmental enforcement actions and third-party environmental indemnification claims
- Represent public and private entities in environmental due diligence for the purchase of impacted properties
- Represent clients in private party disputes, involving litigation and enforcement from regulatory agencies, regarding liability and allocation of responsibility for investigation and remediation of environmental contamination
- Respond on behalf of clients to requests for information from federal and state environmental agencies regarding potential responsibility for environmental contamination and compliance with environmental laws
- “Creative Real Estate Transactions in this Current Market: Brownfields,” at Colorado League of Charter Schools Annual Conference, February 23, 2017
- “Restore, Reuse, Revitalize That Prime Real Estate,” title of publication September 6, 2016
- “Transact With Confidence: The Environmental Due Diligence You Should be Doing in a Brownfields Transaction,” at 2016 Colorado Brownfields Conference, August 22, 2016
- ”Impact of Women in Philanthropy,” at KPMG’S Fifth Annual Executive Women’s Retreat, May 18, 2016
- “Transact With Confidence: The Environmental Due Diligence You Should be Doing,” at Association of Corporate Counsel’s In-House Counsel Forum, April 20, 2016
- “States, Feds Offer Incentives for Brownfields,” in Law Week Colorado, August 25, 2014
- “From Brownfields to Play Fields,” in Byline July 2014
- “Transact with Confidence: Measures to Account for and Minimize Risk of Liability,” at Law Week Colorado, Mountain Views CLE, May 2012
- “What Every Developer needs to Know” at Colorado Brownfields Foundation, November 2010
- “Trash or Treasure? The Intersection of the National Historic Preservation Act and Mine Closure and Reclamation Activities,” at Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, November 2009
- “The Rise of Vapor Intrusion: Benefits and Risks of the 2008 ASTM Standards,” in The Colorado Lawyer, July 2008
- “The Best of Both Worlds, Cost Recovery Under the Colorado Voluntary Clean-up Program,” at Rocky Mountain Association of Environmental Professionals, June 2007
- “Accounting for Environmental Asset Retirement Under FIN 47,” in The Colorado Lawyer, November 2006
- Colorado Environmental Management Society, Member
- Regional Institute Health & Environmental Leadership Governing Board
- Division of Oil and Public Safety, Legal Representative Stakeholder for the Petroleum Cleanup and Redevelopment Fund
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Legal Representative Stakeholder for the Brownfields Group
- American, Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, Member
- Colorado Brownfields Foundation, Advisory Council, Past Member
- Rocky Mountain Association of Environmental Professionals, Past Member
- Mile High United Way, Women United
- Mile High United Way, Volunteerism Committee, Member
- Americorps, City Year Denver, Mentor
- Metropolitan State University of Denver, Leadership Course, Mentor
- Leadership Denver Class of 2014
- Quoted in Law Week Colorado, “Is the Endangered Species Act Endangered?” July 30, 2018