Beth is a partner in the Seattle Office of the Stoel Rives lawfirm and has been practicing environmental and natural resources law and litigation for over 35 years. Beth's practice focuses on energy, public port and transportation related infrastructure permitting and litigation including Endangered Species Act , NEPA, and Clean Water Act citizen suit defense. Outside of work, Beth enjoys playing her violin in various quartets and small ensembles, tenand nis, hiking and biking in the great Pacific Northwest. Beth is a former Department of Justice environmental defense attorney, and a former Special Assistant to the EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.
Work Phone:
206-386-7581
Email:
beth.ginsberg@stoel.com
Website:
www.stoel.com
EPA Region:
Region 10 – (AK, ID, OR, WA & 271 native tribes)
Regent status:
current regent
Year of induction:
2017
Degrees:
Northwestern University, 1982, BA (Phi Beta Kappa)
State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, 1985- JD.
Admissions:
Washington State
District of Columbia
Oregon
New York
Court Admissions:
Western District of Washington
Eastern District of Washington
District of Columbia District Court
District of Oregon
Court of Claims
U.S. Supreme Court
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional Societies and Organizations:
ACOEL
ABA Section on Energy and Environment
Other Environmental Career Experience:
Former attorney in the Environmental Defense Section of the Lands Division in the Department of Justice 1985-1988
Former Special Assistant to Elliot Laws, EPA Assistant Administrator for Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response 1993-1995
Representative Publications:
See current resume at www.stoel.com
Illustrative Projects:
Lead litigator for Port of Seattle in ESA, CWA District Court and 9th Circuit challenge to third runway at Seattle -Tacoma International Airport
Lead litigator for Port of Portland in 9 th Circuit NEPA challenge to new runway at Hillsboro International Airport
Lead Corps permitting attorney and CWA litigator for private developer seeking to permit a controversial coal export terminal on Columbia River in Longview, Washington.
Lead District Court and Ninth Circuit ESA and NEPA litigator defending local sponsor ports' proposal to deepen Federal Navigation Channel on the Columbia River
Lead District Court litigator in NEPA challenge to Snake River maintenance dredging
Lead Litigator defending Idaho Power's B2H bi-state electric transmission line project in District Court NEPA litigation
Represent trade association comprised of more than 100 individuals, farmers, families, manufacturers, navigators, public ports and publicly and privately owned utility districts and cooperatives
Lead litigator on behalf of coalition of Deschutes River irrigation districts in ESA section 9 take challenge
Lead District Court CWA section 401 litigator defending citizen suit challenging on-going operation of Pelton Hydroelectric Power Project on Deschutes River.
Currently defending a suite of different CWA citizen suits involving a poultry producer, an oyster hatchery, several grain terminals, in Washington State.
Currently representing the Port of Seattle in threatened ESA litigation involving the Seattle Harbor Navigation Improvement Project.
Citations of Major Published Cases:
Airport Communities Coalition v. Graves, 280 F. Supp 2d 1207 (W.D. WA 2003)
Idaho Rivers United V. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 156 F. Supp 3d 1252 (W.D. WA 2015 2016 WL 498911
Barnes v. Federal Aviation Administration, 865 F.3d 1266 (9th Cir. 2017) and 655 F.3d 1124 (9th Cir. 2011)
National Wildlife Federation v. US. Corps Engineers, 2001 WL 34045735 (D. Or 2001)
Deschutes River Alliance v. Portland General Electric Co, 331 F. Supp. 3d 1187 (D. Or. 2018) and 323 F. Supp. 3d 1171 (D. Or 2018) and 249 F Supp 3d 1182 (D. Or 2017)
Olympic Forest Coalition v. Coast Seafoods Co., 2019 WL 2602543
Oregon Natural Desert Assn v. Zinke, 250 F. Supp. 3d 773 (D. Or. 2017)
National Wildlife Federation v. NMFS, 2017 WL 1135610 (D. Or. 2017) and related decisions spanning back to 2005