Beth Ginsberg Named a 2018 National Law Journal Energy & Environmental Trailblazer

SEATTLE, Wash. – Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that environmental litigator Beth S. Ginsberg has been selected by The National Law Journal for inclusion in the fourth annual edition of its Energy & Environmental Trailblazers. The special supplement honors legal professionals in the United States who are making their mark in various aspects of legal work in energy and environmental law and who have the quality in common that “each has shown a deep passion and perseverance in pursuit of their mission, having achieved remarkable successes along the way.” Ginsberg’s Energy & Environmental Trailblazer profile follows below.

Pioneer Spirit

Beth Ginsberg grew up just miles from Love Canal when it was all over the news. "I wanted to do public interest law and got a job interning for one of the first environmental consulting firms." ln law school, she worked on environmental litigation at the U.S. attorney's office. "I realized I was a litigator. I began working at the Justice Department representing the EPA out of law school."

Trails Blazed

Now in private practice, Ginsberg is advising on several cases that involve the intersection of energy policy and environmental law. "They are raising nationally significant issues that are pushing the limits of the Clean Water Act.” In one case, she is representing Millennium Bulk Terminals in a lawsuit against the Washington state Department of Ecology for denying a water quality certification based on a bias against coal, not on the merits of the project. "Our summary judgment motion was filed the same day the Department of Ecology filed a motion to dismiss, so it will be a battle.” Ginsberg is also representing Portland General Electric in a case that raises an issue of first impression as to whether a third-party citizens' group can enforce a Section 401 Water Quality Certification, independent of the facility's FERC license. “The groups are trying to do an end run around FERC. We will pursue it in the Ninth Circuit when the time comes.”

Future Explorations

As the Trump administration retracts environmental protections, coastal states are stepping in. "In Washington state, we are seeing a rise in state rulemaking and legal action to fill the gap. But companies like Millennium are caught in the middle. I see a continued split between the federal government and the states that are leading the charge. There will be a lot of litigation.”

Ginsberg’s profile is available online. Her colleague Cameron Sabin is also included in the 2018 edition, and they join Stoel Rives attorneys Ryan Steen, honored in the 2016 edition, and Drew Moratzka, honored in the 2015 edition.