Karen Hanson’s practice focuses on the Clean Water Act and state programs for regulating and permitting water discharges and water supply/use, and on environmental, health, and safety audit review and implementation.
She has extensive experience assisting industrial and municipal clients in preparing strategies for and pursuing water permits for ongoing operations, expansions and new operations, including permit challenges. Karen also represents clients that must defend CWA and state water law enforcement actions, including claims pursued by governmental as well as third party entities. She recently led a multi-year, complex negotiation of a consent decree for the San Antonio Water System, which was targeted for sewer overflow reductions under EPA's national "wet weather" enforcement initiative. Karen advises clients on business strategies related to increasing water scarcity and counsels clients on emerging trends in water quality programs, including initiatives such as watershed-based permitting, TMDLs, trading and allocation, and land-based impacts on coastal and ocean resources. She also has extensive experience assisting clients with conducting compliance audits and managing related disclosures, and with developing and implementing management systems for environmental compliance.
Karen also has extensive experience assisting multinational companies manage their global EHS issue portfolios. She helps clients strategically plan and manage both comprehensive and targeted EHS compliance audits, and related federal and state disclosure and corrective action strategies. Karen also has helped companies develop and implement management systems for environmental compliance, sometimes in the context of resolving a major enforcement action. Karen also teams with white collar lawyers to conduct internal investigations and assist in defending civil and criminal investigations.
In addition to serving as a frequent speaker, writer, and planner for a variety of environmental law and policy programs, Karen has served in elected and appointed roles on numerous state bar and American Bar Association committees and task forces. Karen served on the firm's Management Committee and as the inaugural Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and she Co-Chairs the Water Law Practice.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Karen M. Hansen
- Reducing the Flood of Changes—EPA Issues a More Tempered Final 2021 Multi-Sector General Permit than Originally Proposed - (Posted On Friday, February 26, 2021)
- EPA Encourages Voluntary Self-Disclosure of Environmental Violations with Release of Updated Guidance - (Posted On Tuesday, February 09, 2021)
- Department of Justice Issues New Guidance Limiting Federal Clean Water Act Civil Enforcement Overfiling of State Actions - (Posted On Saturday, August 01, 2020)
- EPA Tackles Controversial Clean Water Act Certification Requirements - (Posted On Thursday, June 04, 2020)
- NGOs Seek Court Order Compelling EPA to Respond to Petition for Emergency Rule on COVID-19 Enforcement Discretion - (Posted On Monday, April 20, 2020)
- EPA Policy Provides Enforcement Relief Where Needed Due to Pandemic - (Posted On Friday, March 27, 2020)
- TCEQ Issues Guidance for Submitting Enforcement Discretion Requests During COVID-19 Pandemic - (Posted On Thursday, March 19, 2020)
- EPA Releases 2020 Multi-Sector General Permit for Comment - (Posted On Wednesday, March 04, 2020)
- Justices Request the Government’s Views on CWA Discharge Cases - (Posted On Wednesday, December 05, 2018)
- Replacement of the Clean Water Rule to Be a Two-Step Process - (Posted On Wednesday, June 28, 2017)