Craig Trueblood

Practice Areas

Craig Trueblood led the firm’s environment, land use and natural resources practice group from 2004 through 2012. He practices exclusively in environmental, land use, real estate and natural resource law and litigation, focusing on air quality, water quality, Superfund, natural resources restoration, NEPA/SEPA, and siting complex facilities such as incinerators, wastewater treatment plants, landfills, marine terminals, telecommunication facilities and mixed-use developments. He provides counsel to a diverse group of public and private clients with interests in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. These clients include BNSF Railway Company, Pacific Crossing, Inc., Dell, Microsoft, Google, City of Bothell, Invesco, Solvay U.S.A., Vigor Industrial, and City of Spokane. Craig represented a coalition of Washington and Oregon cities, counties and private companies before the U.S. Supreme Court in City of Chicago v. EDF regarding regulatory designation of municipal incinerator ash as “hazardous waste.”

Craig served as the firm’s managing partner for the Spokane office until he relocated to Seattle with his family in 1999. He was an adjunct professor of environmental law at Gonzaga University School of Law from 1995-1998. His employment before joining K&L Gates included the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, Natural Resources Section (1985-1988); the Office of the General Counsel, Bonneville Power Administration (1984-1985); and executive director for the Northwest Environmental Defense Center (1983-1985). In 2003, Craig was recognized by Lewis & Clark Law School as a Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate. He is also ranked as a top environmental lawyer by Chambers USA and listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007.

Professional Memberships

Executive Committee and Legislative Committee, Environmental and Land Use Section, Washington State Bar Association (1996-1999)

General Counsel, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (1993-date) (pro bono)

General Counsel, Bainbridge Island Land Trust (2010-date) (pro bono)

Member, Area-Wide Soil Contamination Taskforce, Washington State Departments of Ecology, Health, Agriculture and Community, Trade and Economic Development (2002-2003)

Member, Special Committee on Smart Growth and Urban Policy, American Bar Association (2003-2005)

Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate Award, Lewis & Clark Law School (2003)

President and Board of Directors, Beta Alpha Building Corporation of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (2001-2010)

Board of Directors, Northwest Environmental Business Council (2002-2008)

President, Treasurer and Board of Directors, Arboretum Foundation (2008-2016)

Publications

“Permitting for Energy Projects on Washington’s Coast,” NWLawyer, July/August 2017

Contributing Editor and Author, Model Toxics Control Act Handbook, Preston Gates & Ellis, LLP (2003)

Author, Real Property Deskbook, Chapter 39 Toxic Substances Control Act (Washington State Bar Association, 2002)

Author, Washington Environmental Law Deskbook, Chapter 10 Agriculture, (Association of Washington Business 1996)

Co-editor, Real Property Deskbook (Washington State Bar Association, 1996)

Author, Washington Environmental Handbook, Chapter 3 Air Pollution Control, (Government Institutes, 1992)

Co-author, Washington Environmental Handbook, Chapter 9 Hazardous Waste Management (Government Institutes, 1992)

Author, Property Rights ‘91: Superfund Liability and the Role of Site Assessments (Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture Bureau, 1991)

Author, Washington State Hazardous Waste Program: Differences Between State and Federal Regulations (Washington State University, 1989)

Author, Allocation of Responsibility Among Potentially Responsible Parties at Superfund Sites (Washington State Bar Association, 1989)

Education