Matthew Karmel

Matthew Karmel is passionate about sustainability and the environment and has been widely recognized for his influence and leadership in the field. As the head of the firm’s Environmental and Sustainability Law practice area, he represents a wide variety of businesses and individuals in connection with the full range of environmental matters. From Fortune 100 companies to individual homeowners, Matthew provides clients with practical and common-sense environmental counsel, including in the following areas:

• Brownfields Redevelopment and Site Remediation
• Regulatory Compliance and Land Use/Operational Permitting
• Environmental Litigation and Enforcement Defense
• Real Estate and Corporate Transactions (incl. Environmental Due Diligence and Contracting)
• Waste Management and Recycling (incl. Development, Permitting, and Compliance)
• Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development
• Sustainability and Climate Change
• Environmental Justice

In connection with the foregoing, Matthew has experience with state and federal courts and agencies, including:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
• New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (NJ OAL)
• New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU)
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
• New York City Office of Environmental Review (NYC OER)
• American Arbitration Association (AAA)

Matthew also has specific experience with a wide range of environmental laws and regulations, including the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act (Spill Act), Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA), “Tech Regs” and “ARCCS,” Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA), Flood Hazard Area Control Act, Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act, Waterfront Development Act, Clean Water Act and NJPDES permits, New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act, “Recycling Rules” (N.J.A.C. 7:26A), Solid Waste Utility Regulations (N.J.A.C. 7:26H) and A-901 requirements, New Jersey Environmental Justice Law and A0 2021-25, the New York Oil Spill Law, New York Brownfield Cleanup Program (NY BCP), and NY DER-10, as well as federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

As a sought-after thought leader on sustainability and the environment, Matthew’s presentations and writing contributions have included audiences such as Waste Dive, Waste360, BioCycle, NJBiz, Rutgers University, the Montclair State University Institute for Sustainability Studies, the Fordham University School of Law and more.

Additionally, Matthew is heavily involved in industry groups relating to sustainability and the environment. He is also a board member of the Mid-Atlantic Solar & Storage Industries Association and the NJ Composting Council.

He also aids with critical environmental causes through his pro bono legal services and encourages other lawyers to develop a climate-friendly legal practice through his newsletter, the planetary lawyer project.