Environmental, planning and regulatory

We have extensive experience of advising chemical companies on the whole range of environment, planning and regulatory issues from production and use of chemical products and their derivatives, through to end disposal of production residues and chemical wastes, and of issues relating to chemical spillage, contamination and site clean-up, product liability and crisis management, protestor action and health and safety prosecutions.

We advise on the allocation and management of risk to ensure that environmental risk and liability are properly addressed in corporate transactions and major projects. We also advise on the planning of major new industrial plants, extensions to existing plants and site redevelopment, including obtaining planning permissions, environmental permits and other statutory consents.

An important part of our service is providing proactive advice on strategies for compliance with the myriad of environmental and product regulation. We monitor new legislation and regulatory law and help to manage regulatory intervention.

Some examples of our advice on chemical issues:

  • Akzo Nobel in negotiations with the environmental authorities regarding the remedial operations to be carried out at a former industrial site in France;
  • Degussa on the environmental liability, licensing aspects and health and safety issues concerning the Chemical Industries Park Marl (one of the largest chemical parks in Europe) and on setting-up of a worldwide incident response and management system;
  • Ineos Chlor and Ineos Acrylics on air emissions and climate change levies;
  • A leading international speciality chemicals producer on soil contamination and water pollution in relation to its paint manufacturing business in Germany and on water pollution arising from a chemical and solvent spillage in the UK;
  • SembCorp on air and water emission limits and on integrated pollution, prevention and control (IPPC) and large combustion plant directives;
  • TotalFinaElf on the environmental aspects relating to the sale of global chemical and engineering businesses, including a complex disposal of the its international paints division, SigmaKalon, comprising 120 companies in 40 countries;
  • An international chemical manufacturer on post-transactional liability claims (including environmental issues) in relation to 26 sites in 13 countries worldwide with a total value of 107m;
  • Several chemical manufacturers on EC product safety law issues regarding the EU-wide ban of phthalates from baby toys by the EC Commission;
  • A major European chemicals company in its attempts to persuade the EC to relax its interpretation of a products regulation; and
  • A solvents manufacturer on the potential product recall of an anti-corrosion agent that had been supplied to various European markets in defective packaging.

Briefings

Carbon Crush: ICIS Chemical Business 14-20 July 2008  View

REACH: what the EU’s new chemical reforms mean for consumer products companies  View

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