Attorneys

Ronnie Hawks' practice concentrates primarily on environmental and regulatory matters involving a wide variety of state, federal, and tribal environmental statutes, including CERCLA, RCRA, Arizona's WQARF and UST programs, the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act. Ronnie has represented commercial and industrial entities, municipalities, electric and water utilities, private water companies, real estate developers, and individuals in judicial and administrative proceedings as well as in private transactions and negotiations.

Ronnie also has extensive experience in Native American law, helping clients understand the interplay between federal, state, and tribal law in regard to water rights issues, environmental compliance, and industrial and commercial development on tribal lands. In the field of water law, Ronnie has represented parties regarding their water rights in Arizona's Gila and Little Colorado General Stream Adjudications and the Globe Equity water adjudication in Federal District Court, and has helped clients with individual water rights and groundwater disputes.

Representative Professional Experience

• Assisted clients in a range of environmental permitting activities, including permit applications, permit compliance, responses to alleged permit violations, and review and comment on permit applications by third parties.
• Negotiated settlements with state and federal agencies in regard to violations of hazardous waste laws.
• Performed environmental compliance audits and developed compliance management procedures.
• Helped numerous clients in litigation, negotiations, and commercial transactions relating to the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated property, including abandoned dry-cleaning sites, agricultural pesticide facilities, and solid waste landfills.
• Negotiated allocations of liability under Superfund and WQARF with agencies and individual parties.
• Provided counsel on cleanup strategies, goals, and site closure.
• Assisted water providers in obtaining replacement supplies for contaminated water wells.
• Negotiated settlement of liability for petroleum releases from underground storage tanks.
• Negotiated settlements and agreements with Native American regulatory agencies and involving Native American claims or land.
• Helped draft environmental assessments in compliance with NEPA.