Frank L. Hearne. Esq.

E-mail us at frank@hgn.com

Frank is an environmental lawyer practicing throughout Florida with the firm of Mechank Nuccio Williams Hearne & Wester, P.A. in Tampa, Florida. He is a shareholder in the firm. His 20+-years of experience includes representation of individuals, commercial, manufacturing, industrial, petroleum, agricultural and mining interests.

His experience includes cases involving toxic torts, indoor air quality, mold, air and water permtting, and many other topics.

In addition to his legal credentials, Mr. Hearne holds an undergraduate degree in engineering and a master's degree in zoology and marine biology. Mr. Hearne's engineering and scientific training provides a background which enables him to comprehend many technical aspects of his work, including microbiology, geohydrology, hydrology, environmental chemistry, wetlands, protected habitats, endangered species, aquatic and marine ecology and other disciplines.

He has been involved in numerous projects where contaminated soil and groundwater are at issue and in many cases with federal, state and local wetlands disputes. He is familiar with the state of Florida cleanup programs including the dry cleaner and petroleum programs. His experience also includes development, review and negotiation of environmental insurance policies. He has served as environmental counsel on many multiple-site real estate and business transactions on behalf of buyers, sellers and lenders. Mr. Hearne has been involved in over 50 federal Superfund sites including Times Beach, Missouri, and Seymour, Indiana, which involved significant public and national controversy. He has also been involved in obtaining permits for more than 50 large industrial facilities.

Mr. Hearne has had considerable experience in connection with air and water discharge issues, which includes permitting and litigation involving the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, Underground Injection Control and the equivalent state law in many states. These activities included extensive involvement in the development of federal and state environmental rules. Among other things, he has managed extremely complex permit hearings involving major hazardous waste disposal, industrial, development and mining sites including national, state and local political and legal considerations. He has also been involved in criminal defense work in cases involving the defense of clients facing federal and state environmental charges.

He also has been deeply involved in water use related legal and scientific issues. Mr. Hearne has represented a number of businesses and developments in connection with consumptive use permits. He also represented the Southwest Florida Water Management District in the complex negotiations and agreements that resulted in the formation of the new regional water utility in west central Florida known as Tampa Bay Water. He later represented the District in connection with the funding agreements for an innovative 25 million gallon per day desalination unit on Florida's west coast recently completed by Tampa Bay Water. Among other things, he had provided legal counsel and review of the District rules setting Minimum Flows and Levels in a number of Florida water bodies

He has frequently authored and lectured on numerous environmental topics including seminars and papers on environmental compliance auditing, Brownfield redevelopment, Clean Water Act permitting, Clean Air Act permits, indoor air quality, wetlands permitting, underground tanks and many other areas.

Mr. Hearne is active in the American Bar Association, Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law. In the past, he has served as Chairman of the Special Committee on Communications Technology, Vice Chair of the Special Committee on Emerging Environmental Technologies and Section Representative to the ABA Technology Council.

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