Ms. Lorielle Gutting has resigned from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) (effective May 13th) and accepted an Environmental Attorney Advisor position with a federal governmental agency in San Antonio, Texas.
Ms. Gutting notes that the new position will not be with the Environmental Protection Agency but at this point prefers not to identify her new federal employer.
Lorielle served ADEQ since October 10 in a variety of legal positions. She began as an attorney and was later promoted to Attorney Specialist, Attorney Supervisor and finally Managing Attorney/Chief of the agency’s Legal Division.
During her tenure, Lorielle performed a multitude of tasks such as:
- Representation of ADEQ in state Circuit Court and federal Bankruptcy Court
- Representation of the agency before the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission
- Representation of the Regulated Storage Tank Division staff before the Arkansas Petroleum Storage Tank Trust Fund Advisory Committee
- Representation of the agency in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission drafting state legislation
- Participating in various agency rulemakings
- Counsel in various enforcement cases
Key matters she was involved in included:
- Exxon Pegasus Pipeline
- City of Fort Smith federal Consent Decree
- NABORS landfill forfeiture
On a personal note, I have a couple of comments.
Lorielle’s energies were not solely related to her agency position. For example, she served as chair of the Arkansas Bar Association Environmental Section seminar in Eureka Springs this year and helped develop an agenda with significant speakers from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and elsewhere that made it a must attend event. http://www.mitchellwilliamslaw.com/arkansas-bar-association-annual-environmental-law-conference-eureka-springs-arkansas-april-21-22
In addition, I also personally appreciated the fact that she, along with Stuart Spencer (Associate Director, Office of Air Quality), were always willing over the past five years to undertake a presentation to my UALR Law School Environmental Law class on ADEQ environmental legal issues.
Finally, I will note that our first time working together after she joined the agency was an appeal I was handling in front of the Arkansas Petroleum Storage Tank Trust Fund Advisory Committee. She was none too pleased when I was rolled into the hearing appearing pale and in a wheelchair just having left the hospital after a fall from a ladder (being chased by wasps) and having my leg shattered. I think she viewed by entrance as a lame attempt to curry sympathy.
I know she will be missed by her agency colleagues along with members and representatives of the regulated community.
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