Resumé

Becky Jolin

Phone: 512-555-5555

email: Becky.JOlin@smithjolin.com

Becky Jolin focuses her practice on environmental issues affecting industry, with special emphasis on permitting, compliance, rule-making, liability management, and enforcement. She particularly enjoys “partnering” with clients to solve environmental problems in a cost-effective manner.  She has extensive experience in and enjoys tackling complex problems related to air emissions, water discharges, solid and hazardous waste management, PCBs, radioactive materials, and other toxic and hazardous substances. She represents clients before federal, state, and local agencies.

An honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences (UTSAHS), Becky had a first career in Occupational Therapy, including serving as an Assistant Professor at UTSAHS, before attending law school.  Becky graduated with honors from the University of Houston Law Center.  

Prior to co-founding Smith Jolin, Becky was a former Partner and Of Counsel at Thompson & Knight LLP.  While working at Thompson & Knight for 26 years, she represented clients in various industrial sectors, including steel, oil and gas, chemical, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, health care, cement, and lime manufacturing.

Becky has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White Inc. (Environmental Law) for 2012-2019, and in The Legal 500 US by Legalease (Environment: Litigation); 2010-2012.  

In addition to practicing law, Becky practices art and is active in preserving open space and developing amenities for trails in the Austin vicinity.  She serves on the Board of Wilbarger Creek Conservation Alliance, a nonprofit that works to preserve open space in the Wilbarger Creek Watershed.  Becky is an avid dog parent and recreational runner.

Selected Representations

  • A large manufacturer looking to authorize various changes to increase productivity without triggering time consuming federal permitting programs

  • A large manufacturer, regarding plant modifications that triggered Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting under the Clean Air Act

  • A group of Texas manufacturers petitioning the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality to designate a recyclable byproduct as a co-product that is not regulated as solid waste

  • A large manufacturing facility in connection with a major fire, starting with the emergency response through agency oversight and ending with the resolution of alleged violations

  • A large medical campus negotiating complex air issues identified in an environmental audit conducted under the Audit Privilege Act, including addressing State and Federal PSD and non-attainment New Source Review permitting, Title/Federal Operating Permitting, and MACT compliance

  • A Bank regarding subsurface contamination from an unknown source

  • A large manufacturer undergoing EPA and state investigations and requests for information (RFIs) under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act

  • A nationwide industrial group regarding a white paper relative to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of PCBs contained in a manufacturing byproduct pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act

  • A major manufacturing facility in a contested case hearing on a hazardous waste permit issued under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

  • Managed storm water, wastewater, and solid waste compliance issues of a materials facility under the State Audit Privilege Act, including preparing disclosures to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and counseling corrective action

  • A group of related manufacturing facilities regarding Toxic Release Inventory Reporting obligations and preparing disclosures of past reporting errors under EPA’s Audit Policy

  • A major chemical manufacturer in a federal judicial action asserting that a letter issued by EPA's TSCA program was a rule that was promulgated in violation of the notice and comment provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act

  • A major oil company in an action brought by the United States Environmental Protection Agency asserting that multiple oil and gas production facilities were a single major source subject to the Title V permitting and PSD New Source Review permit requirements of the Clean Air Act

  • A major manufacturing facility in a citizen’s suit brought under the federal Clean Air Act

  • A proposed gold mine undergoing NEPA review

  • A group of PRPs undertaking cleanup at a federal facility on the appeal of unworkable provisions in a recently issued wastewater discharge permit issued by United States Environmental Protection Agency, before the USEPA Environmental Appeals Board

  • A major manufacturing facility regarding property contamination caused by an adjoining facility

  • A medical office complex affected by vapors from subsurface contamination caused by a prior owner

  • A major manufacturing facility, in obtaining a decision that it is not a Public Water Supply to resolve alleged violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act

  • Designed and managed the environmental due diligence for the acquisition of industrial facilities, including two petroleum refineries, a paper mill, multiple pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, semiconductor plants, shale oil operations, outer continental shelf oil and gas operations, and natural gas operations from the wellhead to the customer

becky-jolin.jpg

Education

J.D., 1988, with honors, University of Houston Law Center; Order of the Coif; Order of the Barons; Associate Editor, Houston Law Review

B.S., Occupational Therapy, 1973, with honors, The University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch

Admissions

Texas 1988

Colorado 2000 (Inactive)

Publications

  • Client Alert, “Guiding Your Stimulus Act Project Through NEPA Review”, May 2009

  • “Incentives for Voluntary Cleanup Are Back!", Texas Bar Journal, May 2008

  • “State Construction Permits for Storm Water Discharges”, ABA’s Natural Resources & Environment, Spring 2007; ABA’s GPSolo Magazine , September 2007

  • “PCBs”, Texas Environmental Law, 45 Texas Practice Ch. 21, West Group, 2005

  • “Environmental Law” 2004 Annual Survey of Texas Law of the SMU Law Review, Summer 2005

  • “Dealing with Environmental Issues in the Acquisition of Industrial Facilities: Answers to Buyers’ Frequently Asked Questions,” May 2004

  • “Environmental Law”, 2002 Annual Survey of Texas Law of the SMU Law Review, Summer 2003

  • “Environmental Law”, 1999 Annual Survey of Texas Law of the SMU Law Review, 2000

  • “Overview” supplement to Chapter 1 of Texas Environmental Law Book, 1999

  • “Overview” supplement to Chapter 1 of Texas Environmental Law Book, 1998

  • “Overview”, Chapter 1 of Texas Environmental Law Book, 1997

  • “Planning for a Successful Environmental Inspection”, Environmental Regulation Course, July 1994

  • “Recent Developments Under Major Environmental Acts”, Environmental Preparedness and Avoiding Environmental Liabilities Courses, March 1993, November 1993

  • “Managing Environmental Inspections", Environmental Regulation Course, November 1992

  • “Managing Environmental Issues in Business Transactions,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Business Law Course, State Bar of Texas Conference, January 1991 and September 1992

  • “Environmental Liability of Federal Facilities and Government Contractors”, Federal Facilities Seminar, September 1992

  • “Federal Storm Water Regulations”, April 1991

  • “Environmental Law and the Oil and Gas Industry,” Industry Seminar, November 1990

  • “Overview of the Regulation of Underground Storage Tanks”, NCNB Texas National Bank, September 1990

  • “Asbestos: The Legal Framework”, Institute of Real Estate Managers, June 1990

  • “Is the West Austin Developer an Endangered Species? Overview of Federal, State and Local Endangered Species’ Laws”, Travis County Bar Association, May 1990