Susan Cooper

Environmental Attorney, Womble Bond Dickinson

Susan guides clients in handling environmental issues related to business and real estate transactions, particularly brownfields redevelopment, and regulatory compliance at the local, state and federal level. Her practice is rounded out by her representation of clients in environmental criminal matters and environmental litigation involving a variety of issues including toxic torts, cost recovery, property damage, and administrative penalties.

For over 20 years, she has worked with clients on business and transactional matters involving environmental issues and helped clients perform due diligence, environmental audits, reporting, environmental training, negotiate contracts and resolve regulatory compliance matters. She represents clients in negotiations and agreements with regulatory agencies, handling such issues as RCRA, brownfields, USTs, dry cleaners, wastewater, and permitting. Her experience includes representation of companies in CERCLA (Superfund) matters, including internal investigations and negotiated settlement agreements with the EPA. She has also served as defendants’ and plaintiffs’ counsel in environmental litigation matters ranging from complex mass toxic tort cases to leaking underground storage tank cases.

Susan is ranked among the top lawyers in North Carolina for Environmental Law by Chambers USA. She was named to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite for Environmental in 2020 and has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America(c) in the field of Environmental Law since 2015.

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A Legal Look at Vapor Intrusion

Vapor intrusion has emerged as one of the main focuses of state and federal regulatory agencies in the past 10 years and continues to grow. The legal framework – the regulations and guidance – continues to evolve, is sparse for most of the country, and poses challenges for stakeholders who want to comply but also need some certainty. This lack of regulatory certainty adds to the risks posed by the fact that vapor intrusion is now a firm part of toxic tort litigation and growing. We will take a look at the liabilities that can arise under established toxic tort principles and review recent court cases and regulatory updates.