LINDA R. SHAW
Attorney at Law

LINDA R. SHAW is a partner in the law firm of Knauf Shaw LLP, located at 975 Crossroads Building, 2 State Street, Rochester, New York 14614.  She concentrates her practice in the areas of environmental (including brownfield development, hazardous and solid waste, Superfund and oil spills, air and water pollution issues, and SEQRA), municipal and land use law, representing businesses, developers, landowners, and governments.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PRACTICE:

SUPERFUND - Assist clients in federal and state Superfund negotiations, developing investigative/remedial work plans, and any related litigation/regulatory matter.

CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL DUE DILIGENCE - Review environmental information and provide legal opinions evaluating environmental liability risks.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT (RCRA) - Provide civil and criminal defense services to RCRA corrective action site owners and operators.

PETROLEUM SPILLS - Represent petroleum site owners/operators and prospective purchasers in multi-site Voluntary Cleanup Agreements and serve as the only private environmental counsel on RBCA task force responsible for drafting new spill guidance.

CLEAN WATER ACT - Defend SPDES violations and represent municipalities on Safe Drinking Water Act and sewer related matters.

CLEAN AIR ACT - Review impacts of State's new Title V air permit and risk management programs on industrial clients' waste water discharge/treatment operations.

HEALTH & SAFETY - Advise clients on OSHA compliance issues and lead paint and asbestos exposure and abatement concerns.

SPECIFIC BOND ACT/BROWNFIELD/LAND USE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE

Assist clients, including a newly formed Water and Sewer Authority and Industrial Development Agencies (IDA), in obtaining Bond Act financing. Responsible for coordinating required environmental review, permitting and zoning processes and for providing legal assistance through our project redevelopment.

Completed four New York State Voluntary Remediation Agreements, including the redevelopment of a Class 2 Superfund Site that will re-employ 1,200 skilled workers ; negotiating eight additional agreements.

Principal drafter of new state brownfield law, "The Site Remediation and Redevelopment Act of 1997", which allows any brownfield site, including existing Superfund and RCRA corrective action sites, to voluntarily participate in an expedited cleanup process. Law also codifies liability release provided by the State, establishes a three-tiered, risk-based cleanup approach, and postpones site listing until good faith completion of the voluntary remediation agreement.

Bring together various stakeholders, including prospective buyers, developers, institutional investors, traditional lenders, municipalities, regulatory agencies and sellers to organize industrial/commercial and brownfield economic development projects.

Represent hospitals, IDAs, developers, municipalities and authorities in State Environmental Review ("SEQR") and National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") matters.

LEGAL PRACTICE:

Serve both as a compliance counsel and litigator specializing in all major areas of environmental and land use law; advise owners, operators and prospective purchasers of industrial and commercial properties, as well as commercial lenders, regarding brownfield redevelopment, environmental permitting, zoning and compliance issues and the State Environmental Quality Review process; litigate federal and state civil enforcement actions and citizen suits; negotiate consent decrees to settle Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Superfund solid waste, air emissions, wastewater effluent, and emergency release reporting violations; evaluate legal risks arising from factual information revealed in site assessments and internal audit reports; publish articles, make presentations and conduct seminars, particularly with respect to brownfields redevelopment.

EDUCATION:

ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
Juris Doctorate, School of Law, Top Third, Evening Division, New York State Bar, 1991.
Master of Arts, summa cum laude, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 1985.
Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, College of Arts & Sciences, 1983.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOLADES
AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

American, New York State and Monroe County Bar Association, including Environmental Law Sections; Legal Services Volunteer; Greater Rochester Association of Women Attorneys; Center for Environmental Information; New York State Water Federation; Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers; New York State Business Council; Environmental Business Association (Secretary).