Profile
Eric Waeckerlin counsels clients across the energy, mining, solid and hazardous waste, manufacturing, and industrial sectors on a wide variety of complex environmental, public lands, and natural resources matters. Eric has been at the forefront of emerging legal and regulatory landscapes, with a particular focus on air quality and climate change issues facing conventional and low-carbon energy development.
Eric focuses much of his practice on issues arising under the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and has substantial experience advising clients on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as all delegated state equivalents. Eric is frequently called upon to represent companies in high-stakes federal and state enforcement, policy, and regulatory matters before the EPA, BLM, and state environmental agencies and oil and gas conservation commissions across the Rocky Mountain West.
As the energy landscape continues to change, Eric’s practice has evolved to meet his clients’ needs. He frequently counsels clients on domestic and international climate change and methane policy, including the Inflation Reduction Act’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program, CO2 management and capture and reduction strategies, and other issues affecting conventional and clean energy projects. In his litigation practice, Eric has served as lead counsel for national oil and gas trade associations in challenges to federal regulations. He has also defended oil and natural gas companies in multimillion dollar air quality enforcement actions brought by the EPA and related state agencies.
Concentrations
- Air Quality
- Climate change regulation and policy
- Carbon management
- Conventional and clean energy project development
- Emerging carbon markets
- Environmental compliance
- Enforcement defense
- Environmental self-audit and disclosure
- Federal and state administrative rulemaking
- Midstream petroleum and natural gas
- Project permitting and permit compliance
- Solid and hazardous waste regulation
- Transactional due diligence
- Upstream petroleum and natural gas
Capabilities
Experience
- Lead counsel for multiple E&P and midstream oil and natural gas companies defending against multimillion-dollar air quality enforcement matters brought by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and equivalent state air quality agencies.°
- Counsel to upstream and midstream oil and gas entities on federal air quality and methane emission reduction innovation and monitoring efforts, including the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) .°
- Environmental counsel to the largest construction company in the United States, advising on all aspects of environmental compliance at a major chemical demilitarization facility in Colorado.°
- Counsel to major emerging developers of domestic energy and clean energy projects, advising on federal and state air quality, environmental, carbon capture and sequestration, and alternative and clean fuel regulatory policy.°
- Counsel to multiple Fortune 500, international oil and gas companies, providing advice on a variety of groundbreaking air quality and climate change regulatory and legislative matters.°
- Lead counsel for national oil and gas trade associations in nationwide challenge to the United States Bureau of Land Management’s Waste Prevention rule governing oil and gas operations on federal and Indian lands.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Waeckerlin prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Energy Policy Analyst, Western Governors’ Association/Western Interstate Energy Board, 2001-2002
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law, Litigation-Environmental, Natural Resources Law, 2018-2025
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Environmental Law, 2020-2024
- Listed, 5280, “Top Lawyers,” 2021-2024
- Listed, Denver Business Journal, “Who’s Who in Energy,” 2017
- Member, American Bar Association, 2006 to Present
Credentials
- J.D., University of Montana School of Law, 2005
- M.S., Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Land Use, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Duke University, 2001
- B.S., Economics, Environment and Natural Resource Economics, University of Wyoming, 1998
- Hon. Sam E. Haddon, U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, 2005-2006
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Montana
- Wyoming