Peter E. Hapke

Peter's Project / Case Experience

Hapke Law Office PLLC

Peter Hapke opened his Seattle solo practice in April 2005. Peter has been practicing environmental and natural resources law for over 25 years. Peter moved to Seattle in 1993,where he spent eight years with the Seattle City Attorney's Office and was promoted to Senior Assistant City Attorney, and then four years in the Office of General Counsel at The Boeing Company. Peter counsels, drafts environmental agreements, obtains and defends permits and approvals, and litigates on behalf of business and municipal clients. The breadth of Peter's experience includes brownfields development, hazardous waste (federal Superfund, MTCA, RCRA, Washington dangerous waste), air and water law, TSCA(PCBs), endangered species, NEPA, SEPA, Shoreline Management Act, federal forestry laws, and health and safety laws. Peter's professional highlights and representative projects and cases include:

- Prosecuting and defending MTCA cost recovery lawsuits on behalf of businesses in Skagit and Snohomish counties, respectively.

- Favorably settled MTCA claim against major oil company on behalf of Puget Sound city.

- Lead counsel for a public utility PRP group at a federal Superfund site near Gig Harbor, Washington. Representation included negotiating a consent order with EPA; prosecuting and settling a cost recovery action against the site operator and other PRPs.

- Lead counsel for a large municipality at a federal Superfund site in Seattle involving contaminated sediments. Representation included co-lead role in negotiating a consent order with EPA and Ecology, and negotiating a settlement agreement with other PRPs.

- Favorable settlement of environmental insurance coverage lawsuit for Superfund cleanup costs on behalf of large municipality in Washington State.

- Negotiated a consent agreement, closure plan and RCRA facility assessment work plan for a Connecticut company sued by EPA for $600,000 in penalties for alleged RCRA violations.

- Appealed portions of the Washington State Industrial Storm Water General Permit to the PCHB and reached a favorable settlement for client company.

- Prepared legal memo on the applicability of a Clean Air Act NESHAP to company-wide operations.

- Prepared legal memo for corporate client on applicability of Washington State biosolids regulations to POTWs.

- Advised various clients on all phases of hazardous waste cleanups, including retaining consultants, negotiating consultantcontractor contracts, obtaining environmental insurance coverage, reviewing technical reports, negotiating orders with agency staff, and settling with other liable parties.

- Performed environmental due diligence, including drafting and negotiating contract language, for transactions, such as property transfers, leases and easements.

- Provided a legal opinion on the merits of a Shoreline Management Act appeal of Ecology's disapproval of a variance for a bulkhead.