"Very good at explaining what is very complex in regular language to help us understand what is at stake."
Chambers USA 2024
Next Generation Partner ‒ Environment: Regulatory
The Legal 500 US 2024
"Stacey is an excellent lawyer who can communicate with both in-house attorneys as well as technical professionals to address sophisticated and high-stakes legal risks."
Chambers USA 2023
"She presents cases extremely well. She's an outstanding attorney."
Chambers USA 2023
Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law
Lawdragon 2023-2024
"She is very sharp and incredibly adept at reading a situation from a legal and policy standpoint."
Chambers USA 2021
Profile
Stacey VanBelleghem represents clients in a variety of industry sectors on major project infrastructure and development, administrative petitions and rulemaking, and litigation under federal environmental law.
Stacey has particular experience advising clients on federal environmental laws, including:
Clean Air Act
National Environmental Policy Act
Endangered Species Act
National Historic Preservation Act
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Clean Water Act
American Indian Law
Stacey has in-depth knowledge of federal permitting and approvals for major infrastructure projects, including numerous renewable energy projects, working both to secure project approvals and to intervene and defend approvals in many federal court cases.
Stacey also represents numerous clients in air quality and climate change issues, with an emphasis on the regulation of criteria pollutants, hazardous air pollutants, and greenhouse gas emissions from major stationary sources. She is also a frequent speaker and writer on these issues.
Stacey formerly served as Global Co-Chair of the Project Siting & Approvals Practice.
In addition to her environmental practice, Stacey works on a variety of pro bono matters for the firm. She has previously served in management roles on the firm’s Diversity Leadership Committee, Global Associates Committee, and Global Pro Bono Committee.
Before becoming an attorney, Stacey worked at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its Public Policy Department and also at the National Park Service.
Experience
Stacey's experience includes:
Regulatory and compliance counseling for US manufacturer regarding EPA and state requirements regarding phase down of HFCs
Briefing and oral argument in Ninth Circuit appeal in successful defense of federal approvals for an energy project
Regulatory counseling regarding National Environmental Policy Act review, National Historic Preservation Act compliance, and tribal consultation for Bureau of Ocean Energy Management offshore wind-related approvals
Advising clients on Bureau of Ocean Energy Management requirements for bidder qualification process and other procedural requirements
Representing on-shore wind project in defense of federal approvals in federal District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals litigation under the National Environmental Policy Act
Regulatory counseling for solar projects on Bureau of Land Management and tribal lands
Petitioning for D.C. Circuit review of EPA and NHTSA’s final actions in SAFE 1 and SAFE 2 on behalf of the National Coalition for Advanced Transportation
Representing National Coalition for Advanced Transportation in developing comments to EPA and NHTSA on motor vehicle standards
Legal analysis and strategy regarding greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act for the National Climate Coalition
Regulatory comments and litigation involving EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, including a successful challenge of the rule in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
Advising on carbon offset transactions with tribal counterparties
Representing the State of Florida in its Original Action before the Supreme Court challenging the State of Georgia’s water consumption and its effects on the Apalachicola ecosystem
Regulatory comments on the impact of proposed thermal discharge and entrainment/impingement requirements for power plant cooling water intake structures and on proposed effluent limitations guidelines for steam electric power plants under the Clean Water Act
Regulatory and compliance counseling for large energy project and transmission lines on tribal lands, requiring numerous federal approvals, including Bureau of Indian Affairs approval for a lease and rights-of-way renewals, and environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act
Litigation related to the treatment of pesticide applications under the Clean Water Act, as well as pesticide-related Endangered Species Act litigation
Qualifications
Bar Qualification
District of Columbia
Maryland
Education
JD, American University Washington College of Law, 2008 summa cum laude
Partner Stacey VanBelleghem earned Environmental MVP recognition from Law360 for representing clients at the cutting edge of renewable energy and other initiatives shaping the energy landscape, including first-of-their-kind matters in energy transition and decarbonization.
Environment, Land & Resources Department honored for its “strengths in transactional support and litigation.” Healthcare and White Collar Defense & Investigations Practices and partner Kathy Ruemmler also recognized.
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