Renee Cipriano's practice focuses on providing environmental strategic planning and counseling with respect to statutory and regulatory requirements, enforcement and compliance. Her work also includes providing high level assessment of legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives at the national, state and local levels. Ms. Cipriano's practice includes a heavy emphasis on government relations and public law and policy, particularly in the state of Illinois.

She has extensive experience handling:

• Complex regulatory authorization/permitting matters
• Federal, state and local government approvals and local siting
• Enforcement
• Public hearings and community outreach
• Situational and crisis management

She also has overseen complex multidimensional infrastructure projects, brownfields redevelopment projects and energy projects.

Experience

Highlights of Ms. Cipriano's private practice include:

• Assisting an Illinois county with the negotiation of an agreement for the construction and operation of a landfill gas-to-electric energy facility. Further assisted with securing the approval of the county board.
• Developing and implementing strategy for a power company to obtain a modification to thermal limits applicable to its cooling water discharge at one of its power plants
• Developing and implementing strategy for a company to obtain regulatory relief from air emission requirements applicable to one of its plants
• Assisting municipal client with an attempt by a neighboring village to move into an unincorporated area where client had been preparing to seek boundary approval from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency (CMAP) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)
• Negotiating solution to an impasse involving Section 401 permits for transfer of water to a power plant cooling lake
• Negotiating innovative and one-of-a-kind alternative regulations with the State of Illinois to implement a multi-pollutant strategy as part of the state's mercury regulations
• Assisting a major power plant company with sensitive PSD permitting for a coal-fired power plant in Illinois
• Assisting a municipal utility with negotiating an innovative agreement with an environmental group to allow construction of a new coal-fired power plant
• Providing comprehensive strategic counsel on permitting and third-party outreach to a specialty steel and forgings plant regarding the relocation and expansion of its facility
• Assisting numerous clients with responses to Information Requests under Section 114 of the Clean Air Act
• Assisting utility clients with the review, drafting and negotiation of legislation impacting Illinois coal-fired plants, including coal combustion waste beneficial use and air rulemaking
• Assisting new biomass electric generating facility with PSD permitting, community and government outreach and state legislation
• Assisting three major natural gas distribution pipeline companies with an investigation by the U.S. EPA and Illinois Attorney General into PCB Mega Rule compliance
• Lobbying for the passage of the State of Illinois law requiring installation of carbon monoxide detectors in all dwellings
• Lobbying for the passage of legislation banning new or expanding landfills in the state of Illinois.

Publications

"States and Local Governments Lead the Way on Product Content Regulation," (co-author) Environmental Leader (October 18, 2011)

"Keep Chicago Beautiful, Scott's and the Chicago Park District Put "Two Green Thumbs Up" for Earth Day," WINGs Newsletter (Spring 2011)

Speeches and Presentations

Highlights of Ms. Cipriano's recent speeches and presentations include:

"Impact of EPA Regulations on the Electric Industry – Regional Transmission Organization Planning, Markets and Seams Issues," (panelist) 16th Annual Midwest Energy Conference, Midwest Chapter of the Energy Bar Association, Indianapolis, Ind. (March 4, 2013)

"What Do the 2012 Election Results Mean for Illinois Energy?" (panelist) Consumer Energy Alliance and Illinois Chamber of Commerce Energy Forum, Chicago, Ill. (Nov. 19, 2012)

"EPA's Roadmap to Environmental Justice: Plan EJ 2014," Midwest Energy Association's Environmental Management Learning Summit, Minneapolis, Minn. (September 12, 2012)

"Chicagoland Brownfields: From Obstacles to Opportunities," Chicago Real Estate Women, Panel Moderator (March 28, 2012)

"Legal Mayhem: Environmental Justice, RCRA and Other Difficult Dilemmas," Eighteenth Annual Midwest Energy Associations Environmental Management Learning Summit, Indianapolis, Ind. (May 12, 2011)

"EPA's Clean Air Act Standards for Boilers and Incinerators," Law Seminars International Telebriefing (April 20, 2011)

"What Should the Next Governor of Illinois Do About Energy?" Illinois Energy Council Energy Forum, Chicago, Ill. (November 15, 2010)

"Will County Landfill Gas Purchase Agreement," Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association (September 23, 2010)

"U.S. and Illinois EPA:  "What Co-ops Should Expect on Climate and Other New Regulations — This is Not a Simple Game of Darts," 2010 Annual Meeting of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives — Framing Our Future (July 29, 2010)

"Lifecycle Management of Chemicals," Thirty-Eighth National Spring Conference on the Environment — American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Environmental Law, Baltimore, Md. (June 11, 2010)

"USEPA Proposes Major Changes to the PCB Use Authorization: Is a Mandatory PCB Phase-Out Imminent?" Schiff Hardin LLP and Weston Solutions, Inc. Webinar (May 06, 2010)

Previous Experience

• Partner, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (2005 - 2007)
• Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, State of Illinois [under the administrations of Governors George H. Ryan and Rod R. Blagojevich] (2001 - 2005)
• Senior Adviser on Environment and Natural Resources to Illinois Governor George H. Ryan (1999 - 2001)
• Partner, Schiff Hardin (1998 - 1999) 
• Associate Director and Chief Counsel, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1995 - 1998)
• Associate, Schiff Hardin (1992 - 1995) 
• Assistant Attorney General, Environmental Control Division of the Illinois Attorney General (1985 - 1992)

In her capacity as Illinois EPA Director, (cabinet-level) Ms. Cipriano advised the governor on environmental and energy policy and legislation while overseeing a staff of 1,200 and a budget exceeding $1 billion. In this position, she served as an Illinois Commissioner on the Great Lakes Commission; the Environmental Chair of the National Brownfields Association, Illinois Chapter; the Board of Directors for the Clean Energy Community Foundation; and on the Special Task Force on the Condition and Future of the Illinois Energy Infrastructure.
 
Highlights of Ms. Cipriano's government service include:

• Creating the Green Illinois Initiative, a state program to promote environmental stewardship, sustainability, and planning for a healthier and greener future
• Launching of the Green Fleets Program, the Green Dealers Program, and Illinois Clean School Bus Program. These efforts promote the use of clean fuel technology and alternative fuels, including specifically bio-diesel and ethanol.
• Spearheading the development and passage of the state's comprehensive Right to Know Law. This legislative program makes Illinois the nation's leader in public notification and community relations activities when a release of a contaminant is discovered.
• Launching the national recognized program "Green Pays on Green Days." This program was successfully implemented through partnership efforts that included Illinois EPA, WMAQ-TV/Chicago, various Illinois companies, Partners for Clean Air, and others to promote voluntary actions to improve air quality.
• Expanding of one of the nation's most successful brownfields program to clean up and redevelop abandoned industrial sites
• Creating the Basinwide Management Advisory Group as initiate the review and redefinition of how Illinois plans for the protection of water quality
• Creating the first-ever Environmental Justice Officer position in the State of Illinois and Advisory Group to continue development of an environmental justice policy in Illinois
• Implementing Illinois EPA's first uniform Enforcement Management System for compliance and enforcement activities
• Serving as Chair of the Governor's Environment and Natural Resource Cabinet; Governor's Energy Cabinet, and Governor's Balance Growth Cabinet

Awards and Honors

Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental

Best Lawyers in America, Chicago Environmental Law Lawyer of the Year (2012)

Illinois Super Lawyers — Environmental

Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Leading Lawyer — Environment, Chambers USA — America's Leading Lawyers for Business

Leading Lawyer — Environmental, Illinois Leading Lawyers Network
"Top Ten" Environmental
"Top Ten" Women Business Lawyers
"Top Ten" Women Real Estate-Related
"Top 50" Women Real Estate-Related
"Top 100" Real Estate-Related
"Top 100" Women Lawyers
"Top 100" Business Lawyers

AV Rated — Martindale-Hubbell

President’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award, President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation

Who's Who Legal — Illinois, Environment