Steven Hann is a Principal at the Pennsylvania law firm of Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, where he focuses his practice on environmental law and municipal law, and chairs the firm’s Environmental Law Department. He represents a diverse client base, which includes municipal authorities, municipalities, business entities, builders and developers. Steve personally handles all facets of a sophisticated environmental law practice, such as environmental litigation with federal and state government agencies and private parties, advising/representing clients on regulatory, permitting and compliance matters, and guiding clients on environmental issues arising in business and real estate transactions. Steve also provides clients with experienced counseling on federal and state legislative and regulatory developments.

In addition to his environmental law practice, Steve has developed an extensive practice in the area of municipal law, with a specific emphasis on municipal authorities. Steve is the East Region Solicitor (responsible for the eastern half of Pennsylvania) for the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (“PMAA”), an organization representing the interests of over 700 municipal authorities in Pennsylvania.  In this position, Steve regularly interacts with PMAA staff on issues related to the operation and management of municipal authorities, and  legislative and regulatory initiatives impacting municipal authorities. He provides guidance to PMAA member authorities and firm clients on a variety of municipal authority-related matters, including general water, wastewater and environmental issues; stormwater management; permitting; regulatory compliance; sewage facilities planning; wasteload management; board member issues; tapping fees and rates; water and sewer regulations; and, compliance with state law bidding and procurement requirements. In addition, Steve provides experienced counseling on various statutes, such as the Municipality Authorities Act, Sunshine Act, Right-to-Know Law and Ethics Act. Steve has been appointed as both solicitor and special counsel for municipal entities, and has been retained as both an expert and mediator in matters involving municipal authorities. He is also a frequent author and speaker on both environmental law and municipal law-related issues. Since 2010, Steve has participated in or was the sole presenter at over one hundred thirty (130) seminars/webinars and continuing legal education courses. Steve also contributed to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s publication, Municipal Authorities in Pennsylvania. 

During his professional career, Steve has litigated cases of significant import in both the federal and state court systems.  He represented PMAA in the well-publicized case involving the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, the most extensive TMDL ever developed in the United States.  This case was ultimately appealed to the United States Supreme Court.  Steve has also litigated numerous water quality cases in Pennsylvania for municipal entities, including those involving NPDES permits and TMDLs, and the recovery of attorneys’ fees.  In addition, he represented the prevailing party in a landmark case in Pennsylvania, in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held for the first time that a private cause of action exists under the Pennsylvania Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act.  He has filed amicus briefs on various matters of significance, including one with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on issues of first impression involving the land application of biosolids. Steve has also been an advocate on behalf of clients before Pennsylvania’s Environmental Hearing Board, where he has been involved in over sixty (60) appeals, many of which involving Pennsylvania municipal authorities.

Steve’s law practice is further bolstered by his science and technical background. He earned both a B.S. Degree in Meteorology and a B.S. Degree in Geoscience, and a Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology.  Prior to attending law school, Steve was an environmental consultant for both industry and government. He was first employed as a meteorologist focusing on air quality and air pollution issues. Thereafter, Steve was a member of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) Field Investigation Team under the federal Superfund program, where he was engaged in various activities related to the investigation and remediation of hazardous waste sites. In this position, Steve was selected by EPA Headquarters to travel throughout the country as a speaker for an EPA sponsored training course on hazardous waste site inspections.

Representative Cases

Environmental and Municipal Litigation

  • Steve represents clients in all aspects of environmental and municipal litigation in federal and state court, as well as before administrative tribunals. Environmental and municipal litigation matters handled by Steve include wastewater and water quality issues; permit appeals; TMDL challenges; stormwater-related matters; appeals of municipal wasteload management and sewage facilities planning decisions; land use and zoning disputes; tapping fee challenges; government enforcement proceedings; soil and groundwater contamination suits; storage tank actions; and the prosecution and defense of private party actions under various environmental laws. Steve has also represented various clients in over sixty (60) appeals before Pennsylvania’s Environmental Hearing Board on a broad range of matters.
  • Steve represented PMAA in litigation involving EPA’s establishment of the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, the most extensive TMDL ever developed in the United States. He successfully argued PMAA’s position before both the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (American Farm Bureau Federation, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, et al., 792 F.3d 281 (3rd.Cir. 2015)), and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (American Farm Bureau Federation, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, et al., 984 F. Supp. 2d 289 (M.D. Pa. 2013)).  Steve subsequently filed a brief with the United States Supreme Court opposing a Petition for Certiorari, which Petition the Supreme Court ultimately denied. American Farm Bureau Federation v. E.P.A., 136 S.Ct. 1246 (2016)
  • Steve was co-counsel to nearly eighty municipalities/municipal authorities in a challenge to Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy. Before an en banc panel of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Steve successfully opposed a motion filed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to dismiss the municipal entities challenge to the Tributary Strategy. This case has been cited in numerous cases and secondary sources, including law review articles. Borough of Bedford, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection; Kathleen McGinty, Secretary of Environmental Protection, 972 A.2d 53 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2009)
  • Steve is counsel to various municipal entities in a challenge to both the nutrient and sediment portions of the Indian Creek Watershed TMDL, which matter is presently before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Lower Salford Township Authority, et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011-cv-6489. In this case, Steve successfully challenged the approach used by EPA to develop the Indian Creek Watershed sediment TMDL, requiring EPA to request that the District Court remand the sediment TMDL back to EPA for further consideration. To date, EPA has not amended the sediment TMDL.
  • Steve represented municipal entities in a challenge to Pennsylvania’s issuance of a general stormwater permit in connection with the Indian Creek Watershed TMDL. Lower Salford Township Authority, et al v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EHB Docket No. 2011-151-L. This matter has since settled.
  • Steve represented numerous municipal entities in the first two major appeals of TMDLs in Pennsylvania, which appeals involved the Skippack Creek Watershed and the Neshaminy Creek Watershed. Lower Salford Township Authority and Upper Gwynedd-Towamencin Municipal Authority v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, EHB Docket No. 2005-100-K; and Hatfield Township Municipal Authority, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, EHB Docket No. 2004-046-L. Significantly, following Steve’s legal arguments challenging the establishment of these TMDLs, they were both withdrawn by the federal/state government agencies prior to being implemented, and prior to being incorporated into the NPDES permits of those wastewater treatment plants subject to the TMDLs. The government’s withdrawal of these TMDLs resulted in a significant cost savings to the municipal entities impacted by the TMDLs.
  • Steve represented various municipal entities in cases involving the recovery of attorney fees in TMDL litigation. In Hatfield Township Municipal Authority, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, 1983 C.D. 2010 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2011), Steve successfully obtained a reversal on appeal of a Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board decision denying attorney’s fees to municipal entities under the Clean Streams Law.
  • Steve represented the prevailing party in a landmark case in Pennsylvania, in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held for the first time that a private cause of action exists under the Pennsylvania Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act. Centolanza v. Lehigh Valley Dairies, Inc., 658 A.2d 336 (Pa. 1995). This case has been cited numerous times in judicial decisions and referred to in various law review articles and other legal publications.
  • Steve successfully defended a municipality and its Board of Supervisors against a claim that they violated Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment in connection with the redevelopment of property within the municipality.  The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, and Kathleen Stauffer v. East Whiteland Township, The East Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors and Constitution Drive Partners, Chester County Court of Common Pleas, Docket No. 2021-01586-ZB (December 17, 2021)
  • Steve successfully represented a municipal authority as an intervenor in litigation before both the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board and, on appeal, before Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court. In this case, a developer sought to bypass use of the municipal authority’s wastewater treatment system and, instead, use a private sewage plant to serve its development. Steve successfully argued before the administrative tribunal and the appeals court that any wastewater flow from the development must be conveyed, by law, to the authority’s wastewater treatment plant. Bennington Investment Group, LLC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection and Dillsburg Area Authority, Intervenor, EHB Docket No. 2015-190-M (July 8, 2019), affirmed by Bennington Investment Group, LLC v. Department of Environmental Protection, No. 1046 C.D. 2019 (June 23, 2020) (Memorandum Opinion).
  • Steve filed an amicus brief with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on behalf of PMAA and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies on an issue of first impression involving the land application of biosolids under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Farm Act. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted the position asserted by Steve in the amicus brief, holding that the application of biosolids is a normal agricultural operation under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Farm Act. Gilbert, et al. v. Synagro, et al., 131 A.3d 1 (Pa. 2015)
  • Steve successfully represented a local municipality in land use litigation involving a solid waste landfill. In this matter, Steve opposed the expansion of the landfill and defended the constitutionality of the municipality’s zoning ordinance. Steve prevailed at the local government level, which decision was affirmed by the Chester County Court of Common Pleas (2005 WL 6426176) and by the Pennsylvania appellate courts.  SECCRA v. Zoning Hearing Board of London Grove Township, et al., 898 A.2d 680 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2006), allocatur denied, 591 Pa. 740, 921 A.2d 499 (Pa. 2007).
  • Steve successfully represented a local municipality in land use litigation regarding a conditional use application to develop and construct a mushroom growing substrate and composting facility, which decision was affirmed by the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. Superior Growers, L.P. v. Board of Supervisors, London Grove Township, (No. 2009-15011-LU, 2011).
  • Steve has successfully represented municipal authorities on various tapping fee issues.  Lisa J. Sankbeil, Executrix of the Estate of Jack Lanehart v. Greencastle, Franklin County Authority and Greencastle Area, Franklin County, Water Authority, Docket No. 2005-2428 (CCP, Franklin County) (Motion for Summary Judgment Granted).  Strausser Enterprises, Inc. v. Easton Suburban Water Authority, Docket No. C0048CV2002003756 (Plaintiff terminates own action for Declaratory Judgment).
  • Steve filed a Statement in Support of a municipal authority with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on behalf of amicus curiae PMAA regarding a challenge to the municipal authority’s adoption of a resolution establishing tapping fees. Hornstein v. Lynn Township Sewer Authority, 895 A.2d 544 (Pa. 2006).  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the lower court decision in favor of the municipal authority.
  • Steve filed a petition on behalf of a municipal authority with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for review of a final EPA rulemaking establishing emission standards for sewage sludge incinerators. Nat’l Ass’n of Clean Water Agencies v. EPA, 734 F.3d 1115 (D.C. Cir. 2014).
  • Steve represented a local water authority in a private cost recovery action brought in federal court pursuant to various environmental laws. North Penn Water Authority v. BAE Systems, et al., (E.D.Pa.) 2005 WL 2304736, 2005 WL 1715718, and 2005 WL 1279091.
  • Steve obtained a significant penalty reduction for a client in an administration action before the federal Environmental Appeals Board under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In the Matter of Rybond, Inc.,Docket No. RCRA-III-247.

Environmental and Municipal Regulatory Matters

  • Steve is experienced in diverse matters involving water quality, including wastewater issues; stormwater and stormwater management; NPDES permit compliance and enforcement; pretreatment; TMDLs; municipal wasteload management; expansion and upgrade of sewage treatment plants; sewage facilities planning and regulation; wet weather issues (including SSOs and CSOs); interjurisdictional and intermunicipal agreements; wellhead protection; and, the public water supply.
  • Steve advises clients on a wide range of environmental permitting and compliance issues (air, wastewater, NPDES, pretreatment, stormwater, wetlands, solid and hazardous waste); government reporting obligations; waste disposal matters; site remediation requirements; and, the regulatory process under federal and state brownfields and voluntary remediation programs.
  • Steve provides guidance on issues related to land use development, including water and sewer service; municipal wasteload management; sewage facilities planning and regulation; stormwater management; wetlands and natural resources; and, erosion and sediment control.

Environmental Due Diligence

  • Steve counsels clients on environmental matters in real estate and business transactions, including the evaluation of lender requirements, the economic aspects of such transactions, and the identification and management of environmental risk.  He also guides clients through the complex regulatory maze for both the development and the redevelopment of environmentally impaired and brownfields properties.
  • Steve prepares environmental provisions for real estate and transactional documents, and negotiates prospective purchaser and buyer-seller agreements with federal and state government agencies for environmentally impaired properties.
  • Steve is experienced in assisting clients in addressing environmental due diligence matters, and works closely with environmental consultants on the review and assessment of technical documents.

Municipal Law Specific Issues

  • Steve is the East Region Solicitor for PMAA, and regularly interacts with PMAA staff and PMAA member municipal authorities throughout Pennsylvania on issues related to the operation and management of municipal authorities, and a broad range of legal, regulatory and legislative issues.
  • Steve is both solicitor and special counsel for municipal entities throughout Pennsylvania, and regularly attends municipal meetings in these capacities.
  • Steve provides training through PMAA to municipal authority Board Members and managers on such topics as the Municipality Authorities Act, Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act and Right-to-Know Law, and state ethics requirements.
  • Steve presents regular Solicitor updates and seminars/webinars on timely topics impacting municipal authorities at conferences sponsored by PMAA.
  • Steve routinely advises PMAA and municipal entities on emerging legislative and regulatory developments at the federal, state and local levels, and prepares written comments on government regulatory and policy initiatives. Steve has submitted formal written comments to government agencies on various initiatives, including proposals addressing NPDES permits, wastewater treatment requirements, EPA’s Lead and Cooper Rule, EPA’s Preliminary Regulatory Determination for PFAS, Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards Implementation and Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Steve also provided written and verbal comments to EPA’s Science Advisory Board in connection with an EPA draft document entitled Empirical Approaches for Nutrient Criteria Derivation.
  • Steve was appointed in 2017 as a member of the Wastewater workgroup for the Chesapeake Bay Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan. He previously served as a member of a Point Source Workgroup established by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to address point source issues related to Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy.
  • Steve served as PMAA’s alternate member to the Pennsylvania Sewage Advisory Committee (April, 2011 to March, 2013).
  • Steve served as the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s representative to the Pennsylvania Sewage Advisory Committee (April, 2009 to March, 2011).
  • Steve was a member of the Legislative and Regulatory Needs Work Group established in 2008 under Governor Rendell’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Task Force.
  • Steve was appointed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to serve on an advisory committee to a legislative task force on sewage management and treatment established pursuant to House Resolution 88 of 2005, and testified before the task force on the impact of TMDLs on municipal authorities and impact of statewide nutrient water quality criteria.

News

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • District of Columbia
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

Education

  • Temple University School of Law (J.D.)
    • Temple Environmental Law and Technology Journal, Articles Editor
  • Penn State University (B.S. Meteorology)
    • On-air Weather Forecaster for University’s Campus Weather Service
  • Mississippi State University (B.S. Geoscience)
  • Rutgers University (Graduate Courses in Water Law and Land Use Planning)
  • Mississippi State University (Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology)

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Montgomery Bar Association
    • Past Member of the Board of Directors
    • Past Chair and Vice-Chair of the Montgomery Bar Association’s Environmental Law Committee
  • Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association
    • Legislative Committee
  • Environmental Law Institute
  • National Association of Clean Water Agencies
  • American Water Works Association
  • Pennsylvania Water Environment Association
  • Water Environment Federation
  • Air and Waste Management Association

Publications & Speeches

Publications

  • Climate Change, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. LII, No. 6, p.32, December 2021
  • Contributed to the Pennsylvania Department of Commerce and Economic Development's publication, Municipal Authorities in Pennsylvania.
  • Decisions Lead to Possible Expansion of CWA NPDES Permitting Requirements, The Legal Intelligencer, July 31, 2018
  • Update on recent cases impacting Municipal Authorities, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. 44, No. 6, p. 28, December, 2013
  • Is The Regulation of Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water on the Way?, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XL, No. 5, p.10, October, 2009.
  • New Case Law Could Affect Treatment Plant Discharges in Pennsylvania, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. VIII, No. 6, p. 33, December, 2007
  • TMDLS: Are Daily Limits on the Horizon?, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XXXVII, No. 6, p. 15, December, 2006
  • TMDLs Coming Soon (If Not Already) To A Watershed Near You, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XXXV, No. 3, p. 26, June, 2004
  • The Environmental Hearing Board: A Primer for Municipal Authorities, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XXXIV, No. 5, p. 26, October, 2003
  • Questions and Answers About the State's New Right-to-Know Law, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XXXIV, No. 1, p. 20, February, 2003
  • The Right-to-Know Act and Your Authority's Records; Are Records Associated with Internal Deliberative Aspects of a Municipal Authority's Decision Making Process Considered Public Records?, The Authority Magazine (Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association), Vol. XXXIII, No. 1, p. 16, February, 2002

Continuing Legal Education Courses

  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2022 Board Member Training session (Central location), March, 2022
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's Virtual Conference, November, 2021
  • Tell It to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's Virtual Conference, November, 2021
  • Tell It to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2021
  • Tell It to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 78th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2020 (Webinar)
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2020 Board Member Training session (Central location), March 2020
  • Stormwater Management/MS4 Process, Northampton County Bar Association 2019 Municipal Law Colloquium, September, 2019
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 77th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2019
  • Stormwater and Your Municipality: MS4, Stormwater Fees and Rate Consultants, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Municipal Law Colloquium, June, 2019
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel , Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2019 Board Member Training Session (East location), March 2019
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel , Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2019 Board Member Training Session (Central location), March 2019
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • Top FAQs of PA Municipal Authority Solicitors, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2018 Board Member Training session (East location), March, 2018
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2018 Board Member Training session (Central location), March, 2018
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 75th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2017
  • Stormwater Landscape in Pennsylvania - Local Government Issues, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Environmental Law Forum, April, 2017
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2017 Board Member Training session (Central location), March, 2017
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2017 Board Member Training session (East location), March, 2017
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 74th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2016
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2016 Board Member Training session (East location), March, 2016
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2016 Board Member Training session (Central location), March, 2016
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association 73rd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2015
  • Enforcement Issues Facing Municipalities Under the Clean Water Act, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Environmental Law Forum, April, 2015
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2015 Board Member Training session (Central location), March 2015
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2015 Board Member Training session (East location), March 2015
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association 72nd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2014
  • Municipalities and Clean Water Act - CSOs and SSOsm Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Environmental Law Forum, April, 2014
  • Training and Updates on issues related to Municipal Authorities Act, Sunshine Act, Right to Know Law and other relevant state laws, at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2014 Board Member Training Session, March, 2014
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 71st Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2013
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2013 Board Member Training Session, March 2013
  • Panel Member for seminar entitled "What You Need to Know About Public Records & the Right to Know Law," Lorman Education Services, February, 2013
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 70th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2012
  • Permitting and TMDLs, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Annual Environmental Law Forum, March, 2012
  • Speaker on the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2012 Board Member Training session, March, 2012
  • Tell it to the Judge, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 69th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2011
  • Permitting and TMDLs, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Environmental Law Forum, April, 2011
  • Speaker and Moderator of the Solicitor's Panel at Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2011 Board Member Training session, March, 2011
  • Regulation of Municipal Storm and Waste Water Discharges - MS4s and TMDL Issues and MPC Consequences Explored, Montgomery Bar Association, April, 2010
  • Chesapeake Bay, Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Environmental Law Forum, April, 2010

Seminars

  • PFAS 2022 Update for Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, January, 2022 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Fee Issues and Litigation - A National and Local Perspective, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August 2021
  • DEP Update: Water, Wastewater and the Chesapeake Bay, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2021
  • Climate Change and Municipal Authorities - What You Need to Know, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2021
  • Privatization: Investor-Owned Utility Acquisitions of Municipal or Authority-Owned Water and Wastewater Systems, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2021
  • COVID - What We Learned, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 79th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2021
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Management Workshop, June, 2021
  • Speaker on Municipality Authorities Act and Related Laws, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2021 Board Member Training Session, April, 2021
  • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction Stormwater Permitting, HalfMoon Education Online Learning, March, 2021 (Webinar)
  • Setting Up Stormwater Fees, PSATS Virtual Workshop, February, 2021 (Webinar)
  • COVID-19 and Municipal Authorities: One Year Later, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, January, 2021 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Management: What to Expect in 2021, PSATS Virtual Workshop, January, 2021 (Webinar)
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Management Workshop, November, 2020
  • Stormwater and TMDLs: Backdoor Numeric Requirements in Stormwater Permits, Lorman Education Services, September, 2020 (Webinar)
  • Overview of Legal Issues Related to COVID-19, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, September, 2020 (Webinar)
  • PFAS Issues Affecting Water & Wastewater Authorities, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, July, 2020 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Municipality Needs to Know!, PSATS Virtual Workshop, June, 2020 (Webinar)
  • COVID-19 and Municipal Wastewater Utilities, HalfMoon Education, Inc., June, 2020 (Webinar)
  • The Pros and Cons of Selling Municipal Water/Sewer Assets, PSATS Distance Learning, June, 2020 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Township Needs to Know!, PSATS Regional Fall Forum, Chester County, November, 2019
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Township Needs to Know!, PSATS Regional Fall Forum, Monroe County, November, 2019
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Township Needs to Know!, PSATS Regional Fall Forum, Adams County, October, 2019
  • Preservation in the Privatization Era, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, September, 2019
  • DEP Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, September, 2019
  • Overview of Water Terminations, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, June, 2019 (Webinar)
  • Water Quality Issues Affecting Wastewater Treatment Plants, Lorman Education Services, April, 2019 (Webinar)
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2019
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Municipality Needs to Know!, PSATS 97th Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show, April, 2019
  • PFAS: EPA's PFAS Action Plan, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, March, 2019 (Webinar)
  • Developments in Federal and Pennsylvania Environmental Law, Half Moon Education, Inc., March, 2019
  • Privatization in Pennsylvania, New Jersey Association of Environmental Authorities Annual Conference, March, 2019
  • Privatization: Investor-owned Utility Acquisitions of Municipal or Authority-owned Water and Wastewater Systems - The Legal Landscape in 2019, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, December, 2018 (Webinar)
  • Ask the Solicitor: An Insight to Some Frequently Asked Questions, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, December, 2018 (Webinar)
  • You or Your Data Has been Subpoenaed - What do you need to know?, Pennsylvania Association of Accredited Environmental Laboratories' Annual Conference, October, 2018
  • Ten Things Authority Board Members and Management Employees Should Know, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, October, 2018 (Webinar)
  • MS-4 Requirements, Funding the Unfunded Mandate/em>, Montgomery County Association of Township Officials Annual Fall Convention, September, 2018
  • DEP Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • Privatization, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • Moderator on Privatization: Threats and Issues, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • Steps to Understanding MBE/WBE/DBE, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 76th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2018
  • All You Need to Know About Privatization, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's Management Workshop Conference, April, 2018
  • Stormwater Compliance: What Your Municipality Needs to Know!, PSATS 96th Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show, April, 2018
  • So You Think You Know the Municipality Authorities Act, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, December, 2017 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Landscape in Pennsylvania - A Primer for Local Government, PWEA/PAWWA/PMAA 2017 Joint Stormwater Management Summit, Penn State University, November, 2017
  • Overview of Water Terminations, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, November, 2017 (Webinar)
  • Privatization, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 75th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2017
  • DEP Regulatory Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 75th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2017
  • Stormwater Landscape in Pennsylvania - A Primer for Local Government, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 75th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2017
  • Stormwater Landscape in Pennsylvania - What Your Municipality Needs to Know, PSATS 2017 Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show, April, 2017
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2017
  • Stormwater, the Legal Perspective: What Your Municipality Needs to Know, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, September, 2016 (Webinar)
  • DEP Regulatory Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 74th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2016
  • Ten Things Authority Board Members and Management Employees Should KnowSolicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2016
  • Stormwater Landscape in Pennsylvania – What Your Municipality Needs to Know, PSATS 2016 Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show, April, 2016
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2016
  • Complying with Water Quality Laws and Regulations, Half Moon Education, Inc., February, 2016
  • Approaches to Stormwater Management, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 73rd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2015
  • DEP Regulatory Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 73rd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2015
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2015
  • Ask the Solicitor: FAQs from Municipal Authorities, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, March, 2015 (Webinar)
  • Stormwater Management, Montgomery County Association of Township Officials' Annual Spring Convention, February, 2015
  • When Rain and Not Money Falls from the Sky, Chester County Association of Township Officials' 2014 Fall Conference, November, 2014
  • The Legal Perspective, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's Stormwater Workshop for Authorities & Local Governments, October, 2014
  • Stormwater Authorities: Options for Expanding Stormwater Programs, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 72nd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2014
  • DEP Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 72nd Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2014
  • Legal Issues to be Considered in Forming a Stormwater Authority, Lafayette College, May, 2014
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2014
  • Overview of Water Termination Law, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, April, 2014
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Administrative/Environmental Issues Seminar, October, 2013
  • Creating a Municipal Stormwater Authority - Basic Steps, Benefits and "Pitfalls", PEC-TVSSI Municipal Workshop at Villanova University, April, 2013
  • Wastewater - Sewer Connection Moratoriums: All You Need to Know, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 71st Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2013
  • MS4 Made Simple 4-U, PSATS Annual Conference, April, 2013
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2013
  • Update on Pennsylvania's New Stormwater Management Regulations, Chester County Association of Township Officials, Annual Spring Meeting, March, 2013
  • Panel Discussion on the Role of Authorities in Stormwater Management at 21st Annual PA Housing & Land Development Conference, February, 2013
  • Gas Leasing in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Association of Realtors conference, January, 2013
  • Pennsylvania's New Stormwater Management Regulations, Chester County Association of Township Officials, Annual Fall Conference, November, 2012
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Annual Administrative/Environmental Issues Seminar, October, 2012
  • Current Issues in Shale Gas Development, Half Moon Education, Inc., September, 2012
  • Wet Weather II: Regulatory Updates, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 70th Annual Conference and Trade Show, August, 2012
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2012
  • Sewage Facilities Planning in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Association of Sewage Enforcement Officers, Grantville, PA, March, 2012 (Luncheon Keynote Speaker)
  • Understanding Pennsylvania's Existing and New Stormwater Requirements, Lafayette College Meyner Center, Easton, PA, November, 2011
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Administrative/Environmental Issues Seminar, October, 2011
  • What State and Federal Regulators Foresee During the Next Five Years, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 69th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2011
  • Expanding Roles of Sewer Authorities - Are Stormwater, OLDS, and Other Responsibilities in Your Future?, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 69th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2011
  • Pennsylvania Water Laws and Regulations, Half Moon Education, Inc., August, 2011
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2011
  • Comprehensive Strategies for Stormwater Management, Review of the Pennsylvania Regulatory Framework, CDM Workshop, March, 2011
  • Understanding and Complying with DEP’s New Chapter 102 Regulations, Home Builders Association of Bucks/Montgomery Counties, November, 2010
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Administrative/Environmental Issues Seminar, October, 2010
  • New Fire Sprinkler and Suppression Regulations and Emerging Issues for Municipal Authorities - 2010 and Beyond, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 68th Annual Conference and Trade Show, September, 2010
  • Solicitor's Update, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Spring Management Workshop, April, 2010
  • Municipality Authorities Act and Related Laws, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association's 2010 Board Member Training Seminar, March, 2010

Honors & Awards

  • Awarded the L.W. “Red” Davis Award at the 75th Annual PMAA Conference. The award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions and provided exceptional service to PMAA and its authority members.
  • Excellence in Teaching Award from Penn State Great Valley where he taught numerous classes in Environmental Law, Environmental Compliance, Brownfields and Engineering Law.

Personal Interests

While in college, Steve worked as a Weather Forecaster, providing on-air forecasts for numerous radio stations in Pennsylvania. He continues forecasting the weather today as a hobby. Steve is an avid fan of all Philadelphia’s sports teams and spends many a warm summer night at Citizens Bank Park with his family, cheering on the Phillies. He has also put his baseball background to good use as a little league coach in Bucks County.

Steve played high school and college sports and was selected to two All Conference teams while playing basketball for Penn State Beaver Campus.  He also played ice hockey in various leagues throughout the Pennsylvania-New Jersey area.