Biography: Environment

James Cahan is a partner in Sidley's Washington, DC office. He has been practising environmental law for over 30 years, first in government and then for the majority of his career with Sidley. His practice focuses on Clean Air Act regulation, permitting of major energy and manufacturing projects, environmental crisis response and management, environmental aspects of bankruptcies and transactions and environmental management systems. Mr Cahan has been advising clients on air pollution matters since he left the office of the general counsel, air division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, where, between 1978 and 1982, he helped develop and defend national regulations implementing the Clean Air Act. Most recently, he has been representing clients in the New Source Review area, both in the enforcement context and providing advice regarding new projects. Mr Cahan has also represented several clients regarding hazardous air pollutants and MACT standards. In addition, he has assisted clients obtain Title V operating permits and handled numerous air-related regulatory, permitting and enforcement matters.

Mr Cahan's practice also includes advising clients regarding the construction of new and expansion of existing major energy and manufacturing projects. He has helped clients through the site selection and review process, obtaining the full range of environmental permits for such projects (including PSD air permits), and has drafted and negotiated the environmental sections of project structure, finance and construction contracts. Mr Cahan has also advised clients on several major demolitions and plant decommissioning, as well as brownfield projects.

In the area of environment crisis response, Mr Cahan has assisted numerous clients respond to and manage major environmental crisis events, including releases, explosions and fires. He is one of the primary authors of Sidley's EHS Crisis Response and Management Checklist.

With regard to environmental management, Mr Cahan assists corporations with their policies and programmes for managing their environmental, health and safety problems, including audit programmes, corporate and plant level training programmes, management system assessments and ISO 14000 reviews. Currently he is assisting clients regarding the development and implementation of sustainable development and related programmes.