Henry W. Ipsen
Henry W. Ipsen
Henry W. Ipsen
Biography
Henry W. Ipsen is of counsel in the Denver office and focuses his practice on environmental and natural resources law. Mr. Ipsen brings over 40 years of strategic and tactical experience in this area, working frequently with clients involved in regulatory enforcement and litigation, Superfund allocation, and complex permitting in both enforcement and transactional deals.
Since 1969, Mr. Ipsen has represented a large number of corporations and an array of municipal and other governmental entities in major federal and state environmental issues. He has extensive experience with federal and state regulatory agencies in the Rocky Mountain region, California, the Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
Prior to coming to the firm, Mr. Ipsen was an Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Washington Department of Ecology and following that was the chief water enforcement attorney in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region VIII office in Denver, establishing and directing the Region's water enforcement program under the federal Clean Water Act. He has spoken extensively on Clean Water Act enforcement and has authored numerous articles on that subject.
Mr. Ipsen's abundant experience in regulatory enforcement includes federal and state administrative and judicial enforcement actions under the federal Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Atomic Energy Act, and the Clean Air Act and state counterpart statutes. He has substantial experience litigating CERCLA enforcement, allocation and natural resource damage actions in the federal courts. Mr. Ipsen has been involved in a large number of administrative and judicial appeals of federal and state licensing actions under the Clean Water Act, Atomic Energy Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and state counterparts.
Mr. Ipsen is currently involved in EPA CERCLA liability investigations including interparty cost allocation/indemnification at the following CERCLA sites: Jasper County, MO; Viburnum Trend Mining Sites, MO; Eagle Mine/Belden Cribs, CO; Uravan Uranium Site, CO; DePue Site, IL; Thoro Chemical, CO; and Portland Harbor Superfund Site, OR.
Civic Involvement & Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Litigation, 2012–2021
- International Who's Who of Environment Lawyers, 2013
- Colorado Super Lawyers, 2009–2012
- Chambers USA, Natural Resources & Environmental 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017-2022
Professional Affiliations
- Colorado Bar Association
- Denver Bar Association
Admissions
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Colorado, 1973
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United States Supreme CourtUnited States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Tenth CircuitsUnited States District Courts for the District of Colorado and District of Wyoming
Education
University of Wisconsin, J.D., 1969
University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1966
Related Practice Areas
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Energy & Natural Resources
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Environment
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Nuclear
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Real Estate
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Brownfields
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Citizen Suits/NIMBY
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Clean Air Act
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Clean Water Law
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Compliance Audits and Internal Investigations
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Cost Recovery Litigation (Superfund/CERCLA and State equivalents)
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Criminal Enforcement
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Endangered Species (ESA)
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Environmental Review (NEPA and State EIS laws)
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Hazardous Materials Transportation (HMTA)
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Hazardous Waste (RCRA)
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Insurance Counseling
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International Environmental Law
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Oil Spills
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Pesticides (FIFRA)
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Reporting Requirements (EPCRA, CERCLA, Prop 65 and other state laws)
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Safe Drinking Water (SDWA)
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Solid Waste and Landfills
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Toxic Substances Regulation (TSCA)
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Transactional Work, Including SEC Disclosures
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Underground Injection Control (UIC)
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Water Rights
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Wetlands
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Mobile Source Emissions and Fleet Management
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Ethylene Oxide Team
Experience
- State of Colorado v. Union Carbide Corp. (U.S.D.C. Colo.)
- U. S. v. Eagle Picher Corp. (U.S.D.C. W.D. Mo.)
- U. S. v. Sinclair Oil Corp. (U.S.D.C. Wyo., 10th CCA)
- State of Colorado v. Cotter Corp. (U.S.D.C. Colo.)
- U. S. v. Noranda Mining Co. (U.S.D.C. Idaho)
- KN Energy v. Sinclair Oil Corp. (U.S.D.C. Wyo.)
- U. S. v. Viacom International Corp. (U.S.D.C. Colo.)
- Illinois ex rel Ryan v. Horsehead Industries, et al. (Ill. Cir. Ct.)
- Wason Ranch Corp. v. Hecla Mining Co., et al. (U.S.D.C. Colo.)
- Village of DePue, Ill. v. ExxonMobil Corp., et al. (C.D. Ill. and 7th Cir. CCA)
- In Re Twins Inn CERCLA Site, Dow Chemical Co. (EPA VIII); pending EPA CERCLA liability investigations of the following mining/milling sites: Tulsa Fuels, OK; Jasper County, MO; Belden Cribs, CO; Viburnum Trend District, MO; Portland Harbor, OR
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