Rebecca Andrews

Rebecca Andrews works with public agencies in Texas, California and throughout the United States to address complex environmental, land use and telecommunications problems. Her experience as general and special counsel to public agencies gives her a deep understanding of the demands on public agency resources.

Environmental
Rebecca represents public agencies in environmental matters related to wastewater, stormwater, land use and property development. Her practice focuses on Clean Water Act sections 402 and 404, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the state equivalents to these federal laws and related work triggered by the Endangered Species Act, flood control and surface and groundwater remediation requirements.

Rebecca advises clients on negotiating, obtaining, and complying with permits, including EPA- and state-issued stormwater permits, industrial and construction permits, wastewater permits for publicly owned treatment works and CWA section 401 water quality certifications, as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-issued CWA section 404 dredge and fill permits and Rivers and Harbors Act section 10 permits. She advises water supply, wastewater treatment and stormwater management agencies on emerging contaminants of concern, such as PFAS/PFOA, establishing regulatory compliance programs, developing and implementing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), enforcing local environmental codes and taking and defending administrative enforcement actions and citizen suits. Representative water quality matters include:

• Advising cities on establishing and enforcing municipal setting designation programs
• Advising flood control districts on state and federal requirements associated with large flood control projects
• Defending clients in enforcement actions brought by state and federal regulatory authorities for alleged violations of the water quality regulations
• Representing clients as parties and amicus before state and federal courts in Clean Water Act citizen suits and challenges to the NPDES permits
• Preparing comments and testifying before regulatory agencies during NPDES permit development, rulemakings and enforcement actions
• Advising public agencies and private clients on compliance with water quality regulations
• Advising cities and special districts on the development and use of recycled water, including ownership issues and responses to drought and flooding conditions
• Assisting public agencies with the establishment and modification of regulatory compliance programs, including administrative and civil enforcement of environmental regulations
• Preparing an expert report on regulatory compliance benefits of patented technology in a patent infringement lawsuit resulting in a $12.5 million jury award

Telecommunications
Rebecca also advises cities to ensure compliance with the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, state wireless siting laws and other regulations affecting individual permit applications. This includes revision of local codes, applications and processes governing wireless facilities siting and right of way permitting. Representative matters include:

• Advising East Texas Council of Governments on regional broadband deployment
• Representing the City of Wilmington, Del. in litigation challenging denial of siting permit
• Advising cities of Lake Jackson, Missouri City, College Station and Paris, Texas on compliance with Tex. S.B. 1004 

While in law school at the University of San Diego School of Law, Rebecca was a member of the San Diego Law Review, a teaching assistant for property classes and a member of the appellate litigation team. Upon graduation, she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and received a pro bono service award for her volunteer work during law school. Rebecca graduated first in her class from Emory University with a Master of Divinity. She earned two fellowships to study at the Universität Göttingen in Germany while working on her master’s degree. She is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.