The Livingston Law Firm was founded in 2001 on the principles of environmental stewardship and responsibility. With every case, we continually strive to help individual and business clients resolve or mitigate their environmental legal issues.
What is Environmental Law?
Environmental Law is a body of law that consists of complex and interlocking statutes, common law, treaties, conventions, regulations and policies. These policies seek to protect the natural environment which may be affected, impacted, or endangered by human activities. Some environmental laws regulate the quantity and nature of impacts of human activities, for example, setting allowable levels of pollution. Other environmental laws are preventive in nature and seek to assess the possible impacts before the human activities can occur.
Our Areas of Focus
Although our primary practice area is concentrated in Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois, our law firm has both initiated and defended environmental causes of action in other counties and in several states, including Oregon and Kentucky.
When initiating lawsuits, we work closely with our clients to thoroughly understand their situation, determine what legal casues of action are viable, and counsel them on finding appropriate remedies to their problems, whether that requires filing suit or pursuing other alternatives. When defending regulatory cases, our mission is to get our clients into compliance with the applicable laws, while working with the government agency to mitigate impacts to the clients' business or trade.
We are committed to serving our clients in all areas of environmental law. With over 25 years combined experience in environmental matters, the Livingston Law Firm will zealously represent you whether your case requires litigation (our primary focus), or is regulatory or transactional.
LITIGATION
Improper Stormwater Management
Flooding
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
Groundwater Pollution
Surface Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Noise Pollution
Land Pollution
Endangered Species
Natural Preservation Areas
Zoning
TRANSACTIONAL
Conservation Easements
REGULATORY
Local Siting for Pollution Control Facilities
Adjusted Standards or Variances from the Illinois Pollution Control Board
Variances from Local Zoning Agencies
Site Specific Rule Making Under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act
404 Wetland Permits
401 Water Quality Certification
Superfund Sites
Penni S. Livingston
Senior Attorney
Penni Livingston has been an Illinois attorney since 1987 and has been concentrating in the practice of environmental law since 1989 when she received her Masters in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. Ms. Livingston engages in environmental litigation and advice involving all phases of enforcement and compliance under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, Federal Hazardous Waste Laws, storm water management and flooding, zoning, and wetland laws.
She has made a career out of suing polluters, having worked for Illinois EPA from 1989 to early 1993 when she relocated to St. Clair County to work for the State’s Attorney on environmental matters from 1993 to 2001 where she began her private practice. She is best known for stopping landfills, solving environmental problems, and drafting regulations, legislation, and ordinances including drafting the model storm water ordinance for Illinois and “putting teeth” into the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act.
