Patrick F. Veasy

Patrick Veasy advises and represents clients from public and private sectors in environmental compliance matters, enforcement actions, and litigation. His practice specializes in water quality issues, including under the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Patrick frequently works with clients on matters involving municipal wastewater, industrial process water, and various stormwater discharges, including those from municipal, industrial, and construction sources. Patrick also has experience working on administrative and judicial enforcement cases, and administrative challenges related to federal, state, and local agency actions.

Patrick’s other primary specialty is assisting and defending clients involved in environmental remediation projects and sites involving soil, groundwater, and soil vapor contamination including chlorinated solvent sites and properties with underground storage tanks. Patrick also advises clients on emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Given the complexity of his practice, he regularly collaborates with technical consultants to offer his clients creative, practical, and cost-effective legal solutions.

Education

University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California, Hastings College of the Law), J.D., 2014, cum laude; senior development editor, Hastings Law Journal

University of Michigan, B.A., 2009

Admissions

California

United States District Court, Eastern District of California

United States District Court, Northern District of California

United States District Court, Central District of California

United States District Court, Southern District of California

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Enforcement Defense

• Defended multiple public and private sector clients in third-party citizen suits and agency enforcement actions for alleged violations of the CWA, NPDES permits, and the California State Water Resources Control Board’s General Permits for municipal, industrial, and construction related stormwater discharges, as well as the State’s SSO WDR for Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs).
• Defended multiple property owners in different administrative and judicial enforcement actions alleging violations of the CWA, California’s Fish & Game Code, and Water Code involving the dredging and filling of wetlands and ponds.
• Represented various clients in lawsuits filed under California’s Proposition 65 for failure to warn and/or the alleged unlawful discharge of chemicals into drinking water.
• Assisted two separate electric power utilities in enforcement litigation under the CAA and related State Implementation Plans.

Site Contamination and Remediation

• Represented and advised multiple clients on environmental compliance and litigation matters involving groundwater, soil, and/or soil vapor contamination from contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, PFAS, and related remediation efforts.
• Advised clients on underground storage tank issues, including the State Water Resources Control Board's Underground Storage Tank (UST) Cleanup Fund and Low Threat UST Closure Policy.
• Represented various clients to pursue and obtain site closure or no further action from federal, state, and local regulatory oversight agencies.
• Advised multiple clients on due diligence issues related to the purchase and sale of real property with environmental site contamination issues.

Environmental Review and Permitting

• Assisted clients in significant development projects involving CEQA, NEPA, FAST-41, related environmental review, permitting, and regulatory issues, and multiple federal, state, and local agencies.
• Drafted multiple petitions challenging NPDES and WDR permit requirements before the California State Water Resources Control Board.
• Advised clients on achieving compliance with California air district permit requirements.

Final Agency Actions and Rulemakings

• Assisted with the defense of a municipal client in CEQA litigation involving recycled water irrigation program.
• Drafted multiple petitions challenging final agency actions before the California State Water Resources Control Board.
• Assisted natural gas pipeline company before state environmental hearing board in plan approval permit appeal.
• Represented municipal association in litigation challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's use and promotion of guidance document in NPDES permits.
• Drafted multiple briefs challenging final agency action before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Represented multiple clients in petitions for review of United States Environmental Protection Agency final action before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Compliance Counseling

• Assisted multiple clients with NPDES and WDR permit compliance issues.
• Advised multiple clients on achieving compliance with California's Proposition 65.
• Assisted clients in achieving compliance with California air district permit requirements.
• Assisted client with voluntary self-disclosure of regulatory violations under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Audit Policy.
• Represented multiple public and private sector clients on other environmental compliance issues.

Other Litigation Experience

• Briefed demurrer in state court, resulting in voluntary dismissal of complaint.
• Briefed and assisted client at an evidentiary hearing before a federal district court to successfully defend against a motion for preliminary injunction.
• Represented and assisted multiple clients in all phases of pretrial litigation, including discovery and pretrial motion practice.
• Briefed multiple motions for summary judgment in state court.

Insights & Presentations

• “EPA Issues New Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Rules to Expand Authority of States and Tribes and Clarify Certification Procedures,” Environmental, Energy, & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, November 2023
• “California State Water Resources Control Board's New Sanitary Sewer Systems Waste Discharge Requirements to Take Effect This Summer,” Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, April 2023
• “U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes New Eagle Rule to Create a General Incidental Take Permit Process for Power Line Infrastructure and Wind-Energy Projects,” California Land Use Law & Policy Reporter, November 2022
• “PA outlines key PFAS regulatory developments on the horizon,” Daily Journal, November 22, 2021
• “Technical and Legal Implications of Recent PFAS Developments in California,” panelist, 2021 ACWA CLE Virtual Workshop Series, October 20, 2021
• “Ninth Circuit Rejects U.S. EPA's Approval of Ozone Plan for San Joaquin Valley,” Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, October 2021
• “California's Prop 65: Aery/amide Update,” guest blogger, Specialty Food Association, August 25, 2021
• “Council on Environmental Quality Rescinds Trump Administration Draft Guidance that Limited the Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions During Environmental Reviews,” Environmental, Energy & Climate Change Law and Regulation Reporter, April 2021
• “Streamlining the Federal Environmental Review Process: The Pros and Cons of FAST-41,” Natural Resources & Environment, July 27, 2020
• “Fifth Appellate District Holds Kern County Oil and Gas Activity Ordinance Invalid,” California Water Law & Policy Reporter, April 2020
• “New PFAS rules may increase treatment costs, spur litigation,” Daily Journal, February 27, 2020
• “Will the Wave of PFAS Litigation Sweep Through California?” Daily Journal, July 11, 2019
• “Agencies Finally Begin to Address Dangers of PFAS,” Daily Journal, March 28, 2019
• “Coffee Debate is Coming to a Close: A Prop. 65 Legal Battle That Has Been Brewing for Years May Finally Be Resolved,” California Grocer, December 2017
• “Recent Developments in Toxic Torts and Environmental Law” (co-author), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter 2017
• “Recent Developments in Toxic Torts and Environmental Law” (co-author), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter 2016

• Listed among Rising Stars (Environmental Law) Northern California Super Lawyers^®, 2023–present
• Included in Best Lawyers^®: Ones to Watch in America (Environmental Law), 2023–present
• Named a Food & Beverage Top Author in the JD Supra 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards
• Named a Food & Beverage and Environment Top Author in the JD Supra 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards
• Named a Food & Beverage and Product Liability Top Author in the JD Supra 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards

Professional

• California Association of Sanitation Agencies, Attorneys Committee, chair, 2023–present
• California Construction and Industrial Materials Association
• Proposition 65 Clearinghouse
• Sacramento County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
• California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
• Sacramento Metro EDGE

Civic

• University of Michigan Alumni Association, Sacramento Chapter, Directors, 2019–present