Inheriting contaminated property can mean inheriting a multi-million-dollar cleanup obligation – and under both federal and state law, new owners are strictly liable whether or not they caused the pollution.
During this presentation that took place on June 24th in FBT Gibbons’ Newport Beach office, we examined key liability pitfalls under CERCLA and California environmental law, explored trust drafting strategies designed to protect fiduciaries and heirs, and provided a step-by-step framework for structuring a voluntary ‘self-help’ cleanup that minimizes risk and positions the property for regulatory closure.
See below for a full recap of the webinar:
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SpeakerKurt Ketchum
Partner | FBT Gibbons
August 26, 2026
Brownfield redevelopment promises significant opportunity – but navigating the legal, regulatory, and technical hurdles between a contaminated site and a shovel-ready project demands careful planning at every stage.
This presentation will examine liability protections available to prospective purchasers, financing and insurance tools that make contaminated-site deals pencil out, and the technical realities of cleanup timelines and regulatory closure that every developer needs to understand before breaking ground.
See below for a full recap of the webinar:
October 28 2026
In the prior two seminars, the panelists presented numerous contemporary phase shifts that have turned the traditional Brownfield management strategies on their heads. In this third and final seminar in the series, the panelists present concepts and approaches that can address the new challenges and lead to successful outcomes.
This set of presentations leads out of diagnosis and into execution; how owners, developers, counsel, consultants, lenders, and mediators can make a contaminated property financeable, buildable, and defensible without relying on a traditional unconditional NFA letter.
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SpeakerCanaan Crouch
