Austin Echols' practice focuses on a range of environmental, health, safety, and transportation issues including regulatory compliance, incident response, permitting, litigation, transactions, and matters at the state, federal, and international levels. His experience includes addressing workplace safety, process safety, pipeline safety, incident response, maritime, aviation, hazardous materials, air, water, and waste issues. Austin also counsels clients during crises, defends witness interviews, and manages federal and state agency investigations into workplace safety, process safety, transportation, and environmental incidents. Prior to returning to private practice, Austin served as Senior Counsel for a large upstream oil and gas company in Alaska, where he managed environmental, safety, incident response, pipeline, and aviation matters for the company's Alaska operations.
Prior to attending law school, Austin worked as a terminal operator for a large oil and gas company and served in the U.S. Coast Guard ("USCG") as a shipboard engineer, waterfront facility inspector, and pollution investigator. Austin continues to serve in the USCG Reserve. Austin also serves on the Board of Directors of Breakwater Alliance Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists active duty USCG members with mental health issues.
Incident Response and Workplace Safety
• Represented and provided immediate incident response and crisis management to chemical facilities and oil refineries following releases, fires, and explosions that resulted in fatalities and personal injuries.
• Represented onshore and offshore operators in response to BSEE, BLM, and EPA safety and environmental investigations.
• Advised companies on OSHA, EPA, USCG, and CSB investigation processes and regulations before, during, and after crises.
• Represented companies during OSHA, EPA, USCG, and PHMSA inspections and contested citations related to workplace fatalities, injuries, and transportation incidents.
• Defended refineries, chemical facilities, manufacturers, and food processing companies in OSHA citations, including allegations involving process safety management and other workplace safety standards.
Maritime and Transportation
• Advised companies in the oil, gas, and maritime industries on USCG safety, security, and environmental regulations, and counseled on PHMSA requirements related to the construction and maintenance of LNG and hazardous liquid facilities and pipelines.
• Represented companies in FAA investigations and appeals, including securing withdrawal of an investigation with no enforcement action and reversal of an adverse agency determination.
• Served as a member of the court-appointed monitor team for one of the world’s largest cruise lines subject to a criminal judgment arising from international vessel pollution.
• Advised companies within the oil, gas, and transportation industries on pipeline safety, hazardous materials, and transportation regulations.
• Represented Alaskan pipeline operators in PHMSA enforcement proceedings, resulting in withdrawal of proposed violations, and advised other operators on jurisdictional determinations, pipeline abandonment obligations, and enforcement risks.
