Attorney Profile

Mary Susan Davies

Mary Susan Davies represents individuals and small businesses dealing with environmental regulatory compliance and related administrative hearings, as well as landowners in matters involving oil and gas leases.  Ms. Davies' office is located in Glen Allen, Virginia. Ms. Davies is actively licensed to practice law in Virginia and Pennsylvania, and assists clients throughout these states with environmental matters.

Before engaging in her own law practice, Ms. Davies worked for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  As the DEQ's Waste Enforcement Manager, she coordinated enforcement actions under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Virginia Solid Waste Act, which governs solid and hazardous waste management.  In addition, she performed key enforcement measures under the Virginia State Water Control Act, which, among other things, governs technical compliance for underground storage tanks and releases of regulated substances from storage tanks.

Ms. Davies also worked as an Assistant Counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  As a litigation attorney, she represented the DEP in appeals challenging the DEP's actions before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board, the Court of Common Pleas, the Commonwealth Court, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  She also represented the agency in a variety of legal matters, which include:

• Negotiated orders for the cleanup of contaminants under Superfund, the Pennsylvania Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, the Storage Tank Act, and the Land Recycling Act.
• Negotiated agreements to facilitate the transfer of Brownfield sites.
• Advised and defended the DEP's enforcement actions under various statutes such as the Solid Waste Act, Storage Tank Act, and Oil and Gas Act.
• Advised and defended DEP-permitting actions involving landfills under the Solid Waste Act.
• Advised and defended DEP actions relating to water pollution discharges from various sources such as publicly and privately-operated sewage treatment plants, industrial facilities, storm water discharges from construction sites, and wetland's encroachments under the federal Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law (NPDES).
• Participated in legal actions challenging DEP regulations.

In addition, Ms. Davies also worked on general legal matters in connection with claims against the DEP that alleged wrongful takings of private property (Eminent Domain). She also represented the agency in its pursuit of environmental remedial actions and monetary claims against insolvent (bankrupted) individuals and companies.

Practice Areas

• Federal Environmental Law Compliance
• State & Local Environmental Law Compliance
• Administrative Hearings
• Oil & Gas Rights

Admissions

• State Bar of Virginia, 2007
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court, 1992
• State Bar of Georgia, 1990 (inactive)
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia

Education

• J.D.,  Duquesne University School of Law, 1990
• B.S., Presbyterian College, 1987

Professional Activities

• Adjunct Professor, Undergraduate Environmental Law, Thiel College, 2003