Chris Bowers

Partner

Christopher J. (Chris) Bowers practices environmental law and civil litigation, with over two decades of experience tackling some of the most complex, high stakes pollution disputes in the Southeastern United States. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in environmental, product liability, and toxic tort litigation, involving cumulative amounts in controversy exceeding $1 Billion. No matter the client or the nature of the dispute, Chris brings the same level of dedication, compassion, and tenacity to secure successful outcomes for those he represents. Since 2015, Chris has devoted his practice entirely to representation of plaintiffs.

Chris is a recognized expert in the field of environmental law, and is a subject matter expert in environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, civil enforcement, and soil, groundwater, surface water and drinking water contamination involving Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, or “Forever Chemicals”) and coal combustion residuals (or coal ash), among other topics. Success in these and similar pollution cases requires a deep understanding of technical subjects such as chemistry, hydrology, geology, toxicology, and environmental engineering, as well as the profound impact that environmental pollution and toxic exposure can have on the property and the lives that are often upended by the wrongful acts of others.

Chris was lead counsel for plaintiff in the first two Federal environmental civil enforcement lawsuits in Georgia history involving PFAS contamination that have culminated in an enforceable federal court order (or Consent Decree), with the second awaiting entry by the Court as of the date of this writing.  In one of these cases, the court order once entered by the Court will require an offer of free testing of a community’s residential groundwater drinking water supply and alternate drinking water remedies for qualified residents in the heart of the nation’s carpet producing-region, among a host of other remedies. Together with his client, a grassroots environmental organization, Chris uncovered the true extent of this PFAS contamination that had been largely overlooked by agencies and local government alike, culminating in substantial remedies for the community’s drinking water and wastewater treatment operations.

Chris was lead counsel in a civil enforcement lawsuit in Federal District Court against a coal-fired utility in North Carolina, brought on behalf of citizen environmental and social advocacy groups arising from contamination from the improper disposal of coal ash, culminating in a 2020 settlement in parallel proceedings requiring the excavation of nearly 12 million tons of this industrial waste to lined landfill disposal or beneficial reuse. Previously, Chris was trial and appellate counsel for plaintiff in the first federal civil enforcement case to reach trial in the nation involving the disposal of coal ash at a retired coal-fired power plant in Virginia that was polluting the adjacent river with arsenic. Following enactment of a state law following that trial, the entirety of the unlined coal ash impoundments in the state were required to be excavated to lined landfill disposal.

Prior to joining Stacey Evans Law, Chris was a Senior Attorney in the Georgia office of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), one of the nation’s premier non-profit environmental law firms featuring over 100 environmental attorneys in six states. Chris previously served as Counsel in the Environmental and Litigation practice group at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, then a 180-lawyer Atlanta-based full-service law firm.

Representative Matters:

• Lead counsel for plaintiff in civil environmental suit against municipal wastewater authority enforcing the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act arising from contamination of surface water, soil and groundwater by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), culminating in Consent Decree imposing broad remedial relief, including comprehensive modernization of wastewater regulatory program to regulate PFAS from the carpet industry, a comprehensive residential drinking water well survey, and offers of alternative drinking water remedies for qualified homes, among other remedies. The proposed Consent Decree awaits entry by the District Court as of the date of this writing. Coosa River Basin Initiative v. City of Calhoun, Georgia, Civ. No. 4:24-cv-00068-WMR (N.D. Ga. 2024)
• Lead counsel for plaintiff in civil suit against textile manufacturer enforcing the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act arising from contamination of waterway by PFAS, culminating in Consent Decree permanently enjoining producer from employing these industrial chemicals in manufacturing operations, and imposing interim pretreatment requirements to treat wastewater for PFAS. Coosa River Basin Initiative v. Trion, Georgia and Mount Vernon Mills, Inc., Civ. No. 4:23-cv-00088 WMR (N.D. Ga. 2023)
• Lead counsel for plaintiffs in environmental enforcement suit against coal-fired electric power utility arising from groundwater and surface water contamination from improper storage of coal ash, culminating in parallel state court settlement whereby nearly 12 million tons of coal ash in unlined 270-acre surface impoundment excavated to lined solid waste landfills. Appalachian Voices, et al. v. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, No. 1:17-cv-1097 LCB (M.D.N.C. 2020)
• Lead counsel for environmental organization in administrative challenge to Clean Water Act permit issued to steam electric coal fired power plant, resulting in invalidation of permit and remand back to agency, to impose interim best technology available to minimize harms to fish and aquatic life inflicted by plant’s cooling water intake structure via impingement and entrainment. Coosa River Basin Initiative et al. v. Ga DNR, Nos. OSAH-1825406-BNR-WQC-57-Howells, OSAH-1826761-BNR-WQC-57-Howells (July 6, 2018)
• Trial, appellate counsel for plaintiff in Clean Water Act citizen enforcement suit involving water pollution arising from the storage of coal ash, resulting in finding that Defendant violated the Clean Water Act for discharging arsenic from waste storage areas to nearby river; state law later required clean up of entire coal ash pond at the subject site and similar sites statewide. Sierra Club v. Va. Elec. & Power Co., 247 F. Supp.3d 753 (E.D. Va. 2017) aff’d in part, rev’d in part, Sierra Club v. Va. Elec. & Power Co., Nos. 17-1895 & 17-1952, 2018 WL 4343513 (4th Cir. Sept. 12, 2018)
• Represented long haul trucker in defense of soil and groundwater contamination cost recovery claims, resulting in exclusion of opponent’s subsurface fate & transport expert opinions, and dismissal of claims by trial court on summary judgment, Barrett Props. LLC v. CCL Enterprises et al., No. 08-CI-1833-A, 2011 WL 12847160 (Ga. Super. Ct. May 13, 2011)
• Represented floor sealant manufacturer in defense of chemical exposure claims, resulting in exclusion of testifying expert pulmonologist and dismissal of claims, Byous v. LM Scofield Co., No. 3:07-CV-053-JTC, 2009 WL 10664903 (N.D. Ga. Jan. 27, 2009)
• Represented county in solid waste landfill permitting dispute, prevailing on summary judgment and on appeal to the Supreme Court of Georgia, R&J Murray, LLC v. Murray County, 282 Ga. 740 (Ga. 2007)

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN
  J.D. 2002, Deans List (all years)
• University of Washington, Seattle, WA
  B.A., cum laude 1998, Political Science

Speaking Engagements

Chris has been interviewed or quoted in dozens of news articles concerning regulatory developments, environmental permitting, or state and federal administrative agency action involving PFAS, coal ash, and related topics, including the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, WABE/Georgia NPR, Georgia Public Broadcasting, the Georgia Recorder, ProPublica, and the Rome News Tribune, among others.

Chris has also served as a featured speaker, guest lecturer or panelist on various environmental law and litigation topics at state bar approved Continuing Legal Education seminars and at law schools and universities in Georgia and beyond, including at the University of Georgia Law School, the University of Georgia Department of Ecology, Emory Law School, Georgia State University Law School, Savannah State University, Georgia Gwinnett College, and the University of Michigan Law School.

Honors

• AV Preeminent® Peer Review RatingTM by Martindale-Hubbell® – highest rating for legal ability and ethics (2014 to present)
• Named by peers to Georgia Trend Magazine “Legal Elite” – Environmental Law (2017)
• Georgia Super Lawyers, Rising Stars in Environmental Law (2010 and 2011)

Bar and Court Admissions

• State Bar of Georgia, Supreme Court of Georgia, Georgia Court of Appeals, Northern and Middle District of Georgia, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Middle District of North Carolina

Professional Associations

• Board of Directors, Environment & Toxic Tort Section of the Atlanta Bar Association (2015-2018), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Chair of Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee, 2016-2017), Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association of Georgia

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