LeAnn Johnson-Koch is a member of DLA Piper's Environmental practice group and has nearly 20 years of experience representing the petroleum refining industry and other energy sector clients on environmental compliance, enforcement, permitting, energy transactions, and responding to environmental emergencies.

Ms. Johnson-Koch has substantial experience defending administrative, civil judicial and criminal enforcement of environmental laws and has represented numerous clients negotiating consent decrees under EPA’s National Petroleum Refining Initiative. Another aspect of Ms. Johnson-Koch's practice is responding to environmental emergencies, such as oil spills, explosions and fires.

Ms. Johnson-Koch regularly advises clients on compliance with complex technical regulatory obligations under the federal environmental statutes and their state counterparts with particular emphasis on Clean Air Act matters, including climate change, NSR/PSD, MACT, NESHAP and NSPS. On behalf of her clients, she tracks and reports on agency rulemakings, policy interpretations and enforcement initiatives and represents clients challenging federal and state rulemaking proceedings. She counsels clients on a variety of compliance issues, from quick answers about regulatory applicability to sophisticated issues involving ambiguous regulatory requirements under the CAA, RCRA, CWA, CERCLA and EPCRA. Ms. Johnson-Koch also counsels clients on fuels issues, including low sulfur gasoline, diesel, exhaust toxics and renewable fuels.

Ms. Johnson-Koch has extensive experience on big and small air permitting matters, from reviewing draft permit applications and annual compliance certifications to initiating and defending permitting appeals involving cutting-edge issues including NSR/PSD, flaring, climate change, impacts on endangered species, and innovative technologies.

She also routinely counsels clients on the environmental aspects of transactions, including purchasing, selling and leasing industrial facilities. She has negotiated purchase and sale and lease agreements for a multitude of clients, from major industrial complexes to gas station portfolios. Ms. Johnson-Koch has conducted environmental due diligence, qualified sites under state brownfields programs and negotiated cleanup programs and financial assurance with EPA and state agencies.

Ms. Johnson-Koch's air practice includes mobile source work including enforcement defense related to engine certification and the regulation of tail pipe emissions.