Howard Kenison

Practice Areas

Environmental, Litigation

Career

Howard Kenison is a former Colorado Deputy Attorney General and nationally recognized attorney in environmental law and litigation. He is a Past Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment Energy and Resources, an 8,000-plus member forum.

With over four decades of accomplishments, clients trust Howard to represent them in state and federal courts and administrative agency proceedings. He brings experience and practical knowledge assessing environmental risk and resolving legal issues for clients dealing with the complex array of environmental laws that can impact projects and commercial transactions. Howard finds effective solutions that balance economic and environmental interests and achieve client objectives.

Howard’s practice includes environmental due diligence in corporate acquisitions and real estate transactions, air quality litigation and permitting, NEPA litigation for utility, water and transportation projects, environmental audits for corporate risk prevention, wetlands permitting and defense of enforcement actions, hazardous and radioactive waste facility litigation, water quality permitting and enforcement actions, superfund and natural resource damage litigation and environmental insurance litigation.

He frequently speaks to business and legal professionals in areas relevant to environmental law.

Professional Memberships

Board of Trustees of the Palmer Land Conservancy, (2024)

American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment Energy and Resources (SEER), Section Chair (2020-2021). Section Chair-Elect (2019-2020), Section Vice-Chair (2018-2019), Past Council Member (2010-2013)

ABA Center for Human Rights, Advisory Council, (2021-2024)

Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

SEER’s 44th Spring Conference: The ABA Super Conference on Environmental Law, Program Chair (2015)

Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, Colorado State Past Chair

ABA Standing Committee on Environmental Law (SCEL), Member (1991-1995, 2004- 2005), Chair (2005-2007)

ABA SEER, World Justice Project Task Force, Chair (2009-2012, 2017-2019, 2021-2024)

ABA SEER, Chair Governance Committee (2017-2018)

ABA SEER representative to World Justice Forum II, Vienna, Austria (2009) and World Justice Forum III, Barcelona, Spain (2011)

ABA Working Group on Environmental Issues and the Rule of Law, Chair (2007)

ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division, Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Committee, Chair (2003-2005)

National Academy of Science’s Transportation Research Board Committee on Environmental Issues in Transportation Law, Past Member

ABA Superfund Re-Authorization Work Group, Member

ABA Sections of Litigation and Administrative Law, Member

Colorado Bar Foundation, Fellow

Colorado Lawyers Committee, Board Member

Colorado Bar Association (CBA), Member

CBA, Environmental Law Section Advisory Council, Past Member

CBA, Board of Governors (1981 – 1983)

University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Law Alumni Council, Member (2000 to present) and Chair (2008 – 2010)

Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy, University of Colorado Law School, Chair, Advisory Board (1992 – 2010)

SCEL’s 22nd Annual Conference on the Environment, Public Participation in Environmental Decision Making, Program Chair (1993)

SCEL’s 23rd Annual Conference on the Environment, U.S. Implementation of the Rio Agreements and Agenda 21, Program Co-Chair (1994)

Publications

“World Justice Project-Rebuilding Trust in U.S. Rule of Law”, Trends, ABA SEER, March/April 2024

“Lawyers as Public Citizens: The World Justice Project”, Perspectives Column, Natural Resources and Environment, Vol. 37, No. 2, Fall 2022

“Views from the Chair Column”, Trends, ABA SEER, Sept/Oct. 2020, Nov/Dec. 2020, Jan/Feb 2021, Mar/April 2021, May/June 2021, July/Aug. 2021

“Environmental Rule of Law Index: A Task Force Pilot”, Natural Resources and Environment, Vol. 33, No. 2, Fall 2018, (with Sarah Chamness Long, Rule of Law Index Director, World Justice Project, Washington, D. C.)

“Reporting Releases of Contaminants”, Chapter 11, Environmental Regulation of Colorado Real Property, 1st Ed. (2007), 2nd Ed. (2016), 3rd Ed. (2021) Stephen A. Bain Managing Ed., CLE in Colorado)

“EPAs Evolving Regulation of Greenhouse Gases”, The Colorado Lawyer, Vol 40, No. 10, October 2011 (with Katherine A. Roek)

“Environmental Issues and the Rule of Law” White Paper presented to International Rule on Law Symposium, April 2007, New York City, NY

“Governance Through Guidance: Administrative Rulemaking by Interpretation”, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (2004)

“Uncertain Legal Issues: Comments on Chapter 3” (Natural Resource Damages, Superfund, and the Courts), Valuing Natural Assets, The Economics of Natural Resource Damage Assessment (Kopp, Smith, editors, 1993)

“State Actions for Natural Resources Damages: Enforcement of the Public Trust,” Environmental Law Reporter, November 1987 (co-author)

“Enforcement of State Environmental Laws Against Federal Facilities,” National Environmental Enforcement Journal, November 1986 (co-author)

Education

Awards

Work Highlights

Read more at https://joneskeller.com/attorneys/howard-kenison/