Rich Raiders worked as a Environmental, Health and Safety professional for over 25 years. His integration of engineering, process knowledge, rulemaking and legal principles provides him a unique perspective in helping you comply with the myriad obligations companies face every day.

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ENFORCEMENT & LITIGATION

In 2023, Raiders Law worked with public interest and governmental litigants to successfully challenge the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board's rule that the Department of Environmental Protection has to pay all of the fees awarded to a third party litigant who brings success on the merits before the Board.  This ruling requires the Board to allocate fee awards between the applicant and the Department.   

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With experience in dozens of enforcement actions over two decades, Raiders Law can help guide you thorough almost any environmental enforcement action you may face. Representative matters previously handled include operating limit excursions, testing failures, operating under expired permits, monitoring excursions, and emission control equipment breakdowns. The firm also has substantial experience negotiating favorable regulatory interpretations with state and local agencies during enforcement. Raiders Law will team up with your environmental consultant(s), or find you a consultant if necessary, your other attorney(s), and your staff to provide your facility a full and vigorous defense. Raiders Law partners with other law firms to manage larger matters requiring specialized expertise in certain areas.

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PERMITTING, REVIEW & APPEAL

Sometimes, a company gets an air or water permit with conditions that do not fit the intended underlying process or operation. The firm helps industrial firms, especially in the chemical manufacturing and electroplating industries, prepare, file, and negotiate air permits, compliance determinations, and stack tests.  We work on a variety of MACT standards, especially relating to chemical and electroplating facilities.  Raiders Law will guide your company through the Pennsylvania or New Jersey permit appeals process to help resolve permitting issues. The firm also reviews draft permits on behalf of permittees, environmental consultants, or attorneys to evaluate if and how to submit informal or formal public comments. The firm also represents companies at public hearings or meetings requested by agencies during the permitting process.

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ATTORNEY SUPPORT

Raiders Law works with attorneys and law firms needing specialty environmental law support and overflow coverage within the firm’s specialty areas.

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RULEMAKING & REGULATORY ANALYSIS

Raiders Law has supported industry in drafting a variety of environmental and process safety proposed regulations throughout the United States. The firm works with companies and groups wishing to comment on proposed Environmental, Health and Safety (“EHS”) regulations, prepares and submits comments on behalf of clients, and testifies in public hearings. Raiders Law also prepares regulatory analyses to advise clients how a proposed or final regulation may impact their operations.

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WETLANDS & LAND USE AUTHORIZATION

Raiders Law has substantial experience with wetlands issues, from working with leading wetlands delineation professionals to guiding companies and homeowners through the wetlands development, permitting and offsets processes. The firm has conducted several projects in New Jersey, working through the various Department of Land Use Regulation (DLUR) permitting programs, including tidelands and waterfront development permitting efforts. The firm will work with your consultants, or will help you find a qualified consultant, to craft the best land use permits possible. The firm will also coordinate land use permitting with the variety of other authorizations you may need for your project or residential development. As different states have very different wetlands permitting systems, Raiders Law customizes wetlands work to meet the unique permitting requirements of each state.

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COMPLIANCE AUDITS

After a two decade career in EHS, Rich Raiders can help your company optimize its compliance efforts by providing independent third party audit services. Sometimes, an agency will require third party auditing in enforcement settlements or in support of your ISO 14000 system. Some companies who work with consulting firms for their day-to-day compliance programs ask for a third party review to evaluate their consultant’s performance or to review emerging issues. Raiders Law, working with your consultant and/or attorney, or with pre-selected consultants and attorneys as needed, will evaluate your company’s compliance programs and performance under the Clean Air Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Act (or Clean Water Act), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), and other statutes and regulations.  The firm also preforms emission control device performance reviews, coordinates stack tests, and adjusts compliance conditions for ongoing and changing operations.  

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PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Raiders Law has extensive experience with the Federal and Process Safety Management and Risk Management Plan (PSM/RMP) regulations, as well as New Jersey Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Act (TCPA) requirements. The firm works with leading PSM/RMP consultants to guide you through the PSM/RMP compliance process. Raiders Law will help you prepare for agency inspections, coordinate the agency visit(s), and prepare responses to the agencies. The firm will work with select PSM/RMP consultants to build, audit and optimize PSM/RMP compliance programs.

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