People

Overview

Environmental lawyer Julie Cress offers a rare advantage - a network of government regulators, commercial practicality and the ability to navigate an incredibly complex regulatory framework. She gained this unique combination during her years at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board, working in the private sector and her practice at Baker Botts. Drawing from all three aspects, Julie keeps her clients' businesses moving forward.

Julie is skilled in California's air quality and climate change regime - advising on compliance and enforcement matters, rulemaking advocacy and incident response. In recent years, she has helped clients with CARB's Advanced Clean Fleets, Clean Truck Check, Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth, Cap-and-Trade, and consumer products programs as well as air district compliance and enforcement defense including hearing board proceedings.

In addition to California's regulatory structure, Julie helps clients comply with federal fuels (traditional and Renewable Fuel Standard) and EPA's mobile source requirements including the aftermarket defeat device program. She also counsels clients on various emissions-based credit regimes including compliance and voluntary carbon markets with a specific emphasis on Low Carbon Fuel Standard credit generation opportunities such as CCS, RNG, and hydrogen, registration for compliance and credit trading in the Cap-and-Trade Program, and advising clients on emission credit transaction documents. She has recently been heavily involved in helping clients navigate California's climate disclosure requirements.

When she isn't serving her clients, Julie spends time with her husband and three children as well as serving on the Board of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of California
  • J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law 2006
    with distinction
    Certificate of Specialization: Environmental Law, Public Interest Law
    Dean’s List
    Witkin Award for Academic Excellence, Legal Writing & Research
  • B.S., Environmental Health, Illinois State University 2001

Experience

Public Sector

  • Prosecution of violations of regulatory requirements on behalf of CARB.
  • Lead attorney on regulation development of several CARB regulations.
  • Lead attorney on CARB enforcement advisories involving fuels, off-road engines, consumer products, and portable equipment/engines.

Private Sector

Request for Information/Enforcement Defense

  • Represent ethanol producer in response to EPA request for information and resulting enforcement action.
  • Represent manufacturers and retailers of aftermarket performance parts in response to EPA request for information and resulting enforcement action alleging manufacture/sales of defeat devices.
  • Represent transportation company in response to EPA request for information related to CARB mobile source regulations including the Truck & Bus Regulation, Drayage Truck Regulation, and Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation.
  • Represent food manufacturer and its logistics arm in response to EPA request for information related to CARB mobile source regulations including the Truck & Bus Regulation, Drayage Truck Regulation, and Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation.
  • Represent foreign mobile equipment manufacturer in response to EPA request for information and enforcement action related to importation of nonroad engines.

Permitting

  • Represent major oil company in pursuit of variance requests before the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
  • Advise major oil company clients on complex permitting requirements related to New Source Review and Title V.

Climate Change

  • Advise major oil company related to compliance with CARB's Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
  • Represent ethanol producer providing general compliance advice related to EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard.
  • Advise propane distributor on compliance related to CARB's Mandatory Reporting Regulation and Cap-and-Trade Regulation.

Rulemaking Advocacy

  • Rulemaking advocacy on behalf of oil & gas/chemical trade group surrounding EPA's Risk Management Plan amendments.
  • Advocacy on behalf of manufacturing trade group in relation to amendments to NESHAPs regulations.
  • Rulemaking advocacy related to local air district regulations including the South Coast Air Quality Management District's RECLAIM program.

Incident Response

  • Incident response related to industrial fire with focus on air-specific emergency reporting, seeking of enforcement relief, and compliance obligations.


Awards and Community

Recognized as "Up & Coming" by Chambers USA, 2023 & 2024