Liz Williamson has more than 20 years of environmental law experience. The cornerstone of Liz’s practice is advising clients on Clean Air Act compliance, regulatory developments, and enforcement. She provides advice on federal and state Title V permitting, emissions and compliance, and litigation risk. She represents clients throughout the United States in federal consent decree implementation. Liz has proactively audited facilities for environmental compliance. 

Liz Williamson has more than 20 years of environmental law experience. The cornerstone of Liz’s practice is advising clients on Clean Air Act compliance, regulatory developments, and enforcement. She provides advice on federal and state Title V permitting, emissions and compliance, and litigation risk. She represents clients throughout the United States in federal consent decree implementation. Liz has proactively audited facilities for environmental compliance. 

Liz began her career as an environmental litigator. She represented clients in federal and state environmental cases across the country. Liz has taken and defended dozens of depositions; briefed complex environmental issues; and argued motions in these proceedings. Five years into her career, she was seconded as in-house environmental to a major power generation company. In this role, Liz provided extensive air pollution advice to internal clients.

Liz has a boots-on-the-ground approach. She strives to understand the industrial process first so that she can tailor her legal advice to the business. She has developed key contacts within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters and at many EPA regional offices.

Liz frequently speaks on regulatory developments, New Source Review and best practices. She is also listed among the "Legal Elite" from Virginia Business magazine (2020) and in Chambers USA for Environmental Law (2021-present).

Liz received both her Juris Doctor degree, with honors, and her Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Florida State University. She is admitted to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

  • Provides ongoing compliance advice to industry clients under New Source Review consent decrees, requiring partnership with EPA Region and headquarters attorneys, negotiation of modifications and compliance issues.
  • Performed an environmental audit of client’s two industrial facilities for compliance with air regulations, which involved on-site analysis, employee interviews, regulatory review, and document review.
  • Developed and obtained an air permit for a fuel conversion to an existing boiler, including analysis of modeling results, BACT research, emissions analysis, and negotiation with the state.
  • Created and leads client’s New Source Review risk avoidance programs designed to review the company’s projects at its plants for compliance and litigation risk.
  • Settled six high profile Clean Air Act enforcement cases with the US EPA involving New Source Review, Title V, and opacity claims.
  • Prepared detailed regulatory comments for submittal in numerous national air dockets, including, but not limited to, NSR reform, Clean Power Plan, Regulation 2 for 1, and Startup Shutdown and Malfunction.
  • Performed a New Source Review audit of a chemical facility, involving plant interviews and an extensive records review of high profile capital improvements
  • Represented manufacturing sector trade association on all facets of air regulation, which included briefing association during regular meetings, draft of state and national rulemaking comments, and negotiation on behalf of association before state and US EPA regulators.
  • Advocated to the Environmental Protection Agency and Office of Management and Budget for modifications to the boiler MACT rule on behalf of the Small Business Administration and an industry trade association.
  • Represented a chemical industry client in a challenge at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards.
  • Represented utility in Clean Air Act federal court trial concerning New Source Review and Title V permitting claims in Pennsylvania v. Allegheny Power.