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Office of Legal Services

This office manages legal services for the agency in environmental law, enforcement litigation, bankruptcy, the RESTORE Act program, and general agency operations. The office gives legal counsel and support to the executive director, the agency programs, and—along with the general counsel and the public interest counsel—the commissioners. The office ensures that commission decisions follow the law, and that rules we develop comply with statutory authority and are applied consistently.

Erin E. Chancellor, Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

Environmental Law
General Law
Litigation

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Office Organization Chart

Environmental Law

Charmaine Backens, Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Environmental Law Division primarily supports the offices of Air, Waste, and Water. This division provides legal counsel to the agency in all areas of permitting and rulemaking, and represents the executive director in contested permitting matters in accordance with state law and agency rules regarding participation in hearings. The division’s functions also include legal support related to federal program delegation, interpretation of environmental statutes and rules, and support for the Office of the Attorney General in state and federal court litigation.

General Law

David Timberger, Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The General Law Division serves as legal counsel to the agency on issues related to contracts, grants, procurement, employment law and public-service ethics; processing and distribution of information for the public; and records retention. The division director serves as the agency ethics adviser. The division also prepares the administrative records for appeals under the Administrative Procedures Act and supports the Office of Legal Services with administrative personnel (paralegals and legal secretaries).

The division supports the agency’s administration by coordinating statewide public hearings; managing its rulemaking, including publishing its rules in the Texas Register; reviewing, tracking and posting information and public notices at its website; and preparing matters for the commissioners’ agenda.

Litigation

Gitanjali Yadav, Deputy Director
Staff: Address/Phone/Fax

The Litigation Division primarily supports the Enforcement Division and regional offices within the Office of Compliance and Enforcement, the Remediation Division in the Office of Waste, and the Water Supply Division in the Office of Water. The Litigation Division represents the executive director in administrative enforcement actions conducted at the State Office of Administrative Hearings, negotiates agreed enforcement orders, and pursues default orders. The division also advises the agency concerning the remediation of soil, groundwater, sediment, surface water or other media from pollution or contaminants, and facilitates the recovery of cleanup costs.

Other division functions include obtaining emergency orders to continue operations for public water systems and wastewater treatment plants that have been abandoned, interpretation of environmental statutes and rules, and support for Texas’ Office of the Attorney General in state and federal court litigation. The division also coordinates the Supplemental Environmental Projects and Environmental Audit programs. Investigators in the Environmental Crimes Section investigate and gather evidence on environmental crimes for prosecution in state and federal courts.

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