Environment - Recent Work

The following provides some examples of McGrigors recent environment experience:

  • advising Lewis Wind Power (British Energy plc/Amec plc joint venture) on the environmental consenting and regulatory issues in connection with the proposed development of a 600 MW wind farm on the Island of Lewis within the vicinity of European designated Special Protection Areas and a Special Area of Conservation
  • advising owners (including former owners) and purchasers of contaminated land in relation to liability and indemnity issues
  • advising Glen Water Ltd (as the preferred bidder) on the environmental consents (including water, PPC and waste) and other permissions required for the £122 million PPP project for the upgrade of the wastewater treatment network in Northern Ireland

 

Environmental Disputes

  • advising major oil industry operators in relation to third party protests by non-governmental environmental organisations.  We have extensive experience in this area, from providing preliminary “what to do in the event of” advice to dealing with protests as they occur and advising clients on the most effective, speedy way to end the protest
  • advising major oil industry clients seeking Hazardous Substances consent
  • advising a major oil industry operator in relation to a Court action raised against them for £31m in respect of compensation which it was argued was due as a result of the presence of a pipeline
  • acted on behalf of a construction company who were charged, alongside their employee, with a total of four environmental offences as a result of the employee emptying a road cleaning machine into a surface water drain. We persuaded the Fiscal to drop both charges against the employee and one of the charges against our client in return for a plea of guilty to one charge. Due to strong mitigation delivered in court, the client received an absolute discharge.