- OVERVIEW
- INSIGHTS
- NEWS & EVENTS
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Education
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Indiana University Maurer School of Law,
J.D., cum laude, 1986
Executive Editor, Indiana Law Journal
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Northwestern University,
B.S., with honors, 1981
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Admissions
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Illinois
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Illinois USDC, Northern District
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Illinois USDC, Southern District
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Indiana USDC, Northern District
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US Ct Appeals, 7th Circuit (Covers IL, IN, WI)
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US Ct Appeals, DC Circuit
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Affiliations
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American Bar Association
Past Chair, Air Quality Subcommittee
Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law Committee, Business Law Section
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Air and Waste Management Association
Past Chair, Lake Michigan States Section
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Chemical Industry Council of Illinois
Past Co-Chair, Associate Committee
Board Member
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Recognitions
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Listed in Chambers USA (by Chambers & Partners) for Environmental Law in Illinois, 2009, 2013-2023
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Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (by BL Rankings), 2007-2024
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Listed in Illinois Super Lawyers (by Thomson Reuters), 2015-2016
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Employment
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Thompson Coburn LLP
Partner, 2013-Present
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Eric represents clients in litigation, regulatory compliance, and transaction matters with respect to all of the major environmental programs.
He prepares comments and testimony on proposed regulations, and obtains variances and site-specific relief for his clients. He helps obtain favorable permits under air, water, wetland, solid and hazardous waste, hazardous material, and underground injection control (UIC) programs. He defends clients facing local, state, federal and citizen suits alleging violations of environmental requirements, and represents clients in other environmental litigation as well.
Eric is known for his focus on Clean Air Act litigation. He has represented numerous clients in New Source review (NSR) and Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) enforcement, as well as matters involving indoor air quality, new source performance standards (NSPS), national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAPs), risk-management plans (RMP), off-site releases, and odor and dust nuisance. He has substantial experience with EPA's air enforcement, "next generation," and environmental justice initiatives, and has assisted clients with DHS's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS).
Eric also has worked on significant Clean Water Act matters. He has defended industrial and governmental clients in water enforcement actions, including citizen suit challenges to real estate and highway projects. He has negotiated NPDES and pretreatment permits, and appealed water quality standards (WQS) and WQS-based effluent limits and dry and wet-weather permit requirements (including relating to combined sewer overflows (CSOs)).
Eric also has represented clients in enforcement matters involving alleged violations of the hazardous material and solid and hazardous waste requirements. Such matters have involved material characterization, generator and TSD requirements, DOT shipper requirements, PCBs, vapor intrusion, and site closure. He has also represented clients in litigation involving contaminated sites.
Eric helps to close real estate and corporate transactions in which environmental compliance and contamination issues play a role. He has assisted clients to resolve contamination concerns through insurance products, no-further remediation (NFR) letters via voluntary clean-up programs, contract indemnity language, and EPA Prospective Purchaser Agreements. He also has helped clients obtain "clean slates" using the U.S. EPA's "Self- Disclosure Audit Policy" and the "Interim Approach to Applying the Audit Policy to New Owners."
In recent years, Eric has assisted with emerging environmental issues, including matters involving renewable energy (including landfill gas, wind, hydro, and solar energy projects) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, "green" marketing and carbon sequestration.
Thompson Coburn Publications
Federal Trade Commission to seek comments on Proposed Updates to its “Green Guides”
Maine’s PFAS product reporting deadline is quickly approaching: Are you ready?
EPA recommends new requirements in NPDES permits to address PFAS in wastewater and stormwater
‘Dark Air': Why industries should prepare for regulation of PFAS air emissions
The sky’s the limit as the EPA releases a flurry of 2019 air permitting guidance and proposals
Air rules to watch for in second half of 2019
EPA announces ‘adjacent’ under Clean Air Act now limited to physical proximity
5 points to remember before relying on the EPA’s new NSR guidance on projected future emissions
New circuit split raises questions about ‘permit shield’ defense in Clean Water Act cases
Supreme Court overturns EPA’s 'Tailoring Rule,' upholds GHG BACT for 'anyway' sources
Publications
Co-Author, "FTC Issues Revised 'Green Guides'";
Client Alert, October 11, 2012
Contributing Author;
Environmental & Safety Law Update Blog
Co-Author, "Hazardous Material Enforcement is Spilling Into Unexpected Areas";
ACC Docket, May 2012
Presentations
"Political Perspectives on Environmental/Health Crises";
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, August 2019
"Citizens Get Active: Vapor Intrusion, Environmental Justice and Emerging Litigation",
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Annual Hot Topics Seminar, June 2019
"Environmental Enforcement Today"; Environmental, Health & Safety Audit Center, November 2018
"As Good as the Paper it's Written on - Using Guidance Documents vs Rulemaking to Change Interpretations of Air Regulations";
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Air Program, June 2018
“Large Quantity Generator Closure – RCRA Closure & Vapor Intrusion”;
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois' Annual RCRA Training Seminar, March 15, 2018
“Measurements and Monitoring – Regulatory and Enforcement Recent Trends”;
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, November 2017
Emerging Contaminants and Water Quality Issues;
Chemical Industry of Illinois Water Issues Seminar, October 2017
"Environmental Justice: Integrating Environmental Justice Principles/USEPA Plan: Issues and Opportunities";
ISBA 15th Annual Illinois Environmental Law Conference, May 2016
"Clean Air Act Issues Arising under EPA's Next Generation Compliance Initiative and Fence-Line Monitoring Rules";
ISBA 15th Annual Illinois Environmental Law Conference, May 2016
"Evolving Federal/State Relations and the Role of Regulated Entities and their Associations";
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois- Clean Air Act Conference, September 2015
Co-Chair of the 2010 Fall Air Quality Management Conference;
Lake Michigan States Section of the Water and Waste Management Association, November 2010
"Legal Issues for Waste Generators";
Lake Michigan States Section of the Air and Waste Management Association, May 2011
News
Chambers USA Recognizes Thompson Coburn Practices for Excellence in 2023 Guide
Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2022 Chambers USA
Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2021 Chambers USA
Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2020 Chambers USA
17 Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2019 Chambers USA
Thompson Coburn’s Environmental practice group celebrates top rankings
23 Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2016 Chambers USA
Eric Boyd hosts discussion with retired EPA official to kick off Clean Air Act seminar
25 Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2015 Chambers USA
27 Thompson Coburn attorneys recognized in 2014 Chambers USA