Kermit L. Rader

Kermit L. Rader is the co-chair of the Environmental Law practice at Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin. He has over 25 years of experience practicing environmental law for private parties and on behalf of the government. For the last 5 years, he has been recognized in the acclaimed Chambers and Partners as one of the nation’s leading environmental lawyers. His practice focuses on providing companies and individuals with regulatory compliance counseling, remediation issues, brownfield development, the environmental aspects of real estate transactions, air permitting and compliance, permitting for energy projects, wetlands, superfund, environmental management systems, environmental impact statements and site assessments. Mr. Rader began his legal career (in 1979)  as an attorney for the U. S.  Environmental Protection Agency. He went on to become Assistant Regional Counsel and then Associate Regional Counsel and Chief of the Superfund Section for the Agency’s Middle Atlantic Region—a post he held until 1983. Until recently, Mr. Rader had been the co-chair of WolfBlock’s Environmental and Land Use Practice Group. Mr. Rader is a past co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Environmental Law Committee and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Natural Resources Section, the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section and a Board member of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. He is a member of the Pennsylvania and District of Columbia Bars. A magna cum laude graduate of Duke University, (B.A. 1975), Mr. Rader received his law degree from George Washington Law School (J.D. 1978).

Recent Representative Cases:

• Representation of the owner/operator of a superfund site, including the negotiation of multiple administrative orders for remediation and defense of private cost recovery and toxic tort claims, none of which were ultimately pursued.
• Representation of the developer of a superfund site, who, following the completion of required remediation by the actual responsible parties to the satisfaction of state and federal agencies, constructed high density residences with the explicit approval of those agencies.
• Representation of a major chemical manufacturer with respect to design, establishment, operation and periodic updating of a company-wide environmental compliance management system consistent with International Standard Organization requirements, and environmental aspects of acquisition of businesses, and sale of properties.
• Representation of a natural gas utility in the negotiation of a multi-site remediation agreement allowing remediation of a large number of former manufactured gas facilities over time, with choice of activities and site being at the client’s discretion and progress measured based on a point system, as well as successful cost recovery against former owners and operators.
• Represented a major manufacturer of building materials, with regard to acquisition of properties for new facilities, sale of closed plants, permitting for plant expansion and air compliance matters related to plant operations.
• Representation of leading fast food packaging manufacturer with respect to settlement of  superfund matters, environmental aspects of acquisition of properties and businesses, defense of remediation and cost recovery claims, implementation of an environmental compliance audit program, remediation of plant facilities and obtaining new environmental permits.

Speeches/Publications:

• Temple University (Lecturer) Basics of Environmental Law –1990-1991
• A Practical Guide to Litigating with EPA Region III for Pennsylvania Environmental Law and Practice, first published 1993 and subsequently updated on three occasions.
• Speaker and course planner, PBI Conference, Superfund:  The New Pennsylvania Toxic Waste Law; November, 1989.
• Speaker, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Brownfields Conference; September, 2006 and September, 2007.
• Speaker, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Multi-site Remediation Agreements Conference; 1997, 1998 and 1999.
• Speaker, PBI Environmental Law Forum; April 1999 and April 2002.
• N.J.’s Global Warming Statute:  What Will be Statute’s Practical Impact; Legal Intelligencer, August 16, 2007.
• Environmental Use Restrictions and Buyer’s Due Diligence; Legal Intelligencer, August 17, 2006.
• Addressing Vapor Intrusion During Environmental Due Diligence; Legal Intelligencer, June 16, 2006.
• New EPA Due Diligence Rule Likely to Increase Disputes; Legal Intelligencer, February 16, 2006.
• Buying and Selling Contaminated Property in Pennsylvania; When Multi-site Agreements are Helpful; Legal Intelligencer, February 20, 2002.

Professional and Civic Memberships:

• Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Past Chair- Environmental Law Committee
• Board Member, Institute of Hazardous Materials Management
• American Bar Association, Natural Resources Section
  • Member
• Pennsylvania Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
  • Member

Honors and Awards:

Chambers USA 2005-2009, Named one of "America’s Leading Lawyers-Environmental Law"

Personal Interests:

In his spare time, Kermit enjoys hiking, bicycling, travel and keeping track of his five children.