Mike’s decades of state government experience provide clients a valuable resource for permitting, compliance, and enforcement issues relating to air, water, and waste.

Mike provides clients with regulatory and compliance counseling across a variety of industries impacted by energy and environmental law. His extensive agency background supplies companies and associations with deep insight into the interplay between state and federal environmental law and agency requirements. Mike’s practice is noted for helping clients navigate the regulatory processes and permitting requirements established by complex natural resource law, and regulations surrounding renewable energy and clean power.

Mike regularly counsels clients on permitting, compliance and enforcement matters arising under the Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), common law, and more. He is lauded for applying his deep agency experience to help clients find solutions to intricate legal issues including for matters involving regulations over solid waste, hazardous waste and water resources.

Mike maintains a broad practice and works with clients to address matters under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and similar programs, including compliance obligations, renewable energy certificate markets and technology specific “carve-outs” within state RPS programs. He further represents clients throughout utility administrative proceedings, including rate cases, renewable resources, energy efficiency, and other investigations.

Prior to joining private practice, Mike worked for natural resources agencies in Massachusetts and New York, where he oversaw permitting, dispute resolutions and enforcement actions involving infrastructure construction projects, energy projects, and contaminated lands. Mike is admitted to practice before Massachusetts and New York courts.

Relevant Experience

• Counseled on construction issues, including permitting, claims avoidance and dispute resolution for water, sewer and related infrastructure projects.
• Drafted and completed negotiation of one of the largest service-based public contracts necessary for the implementation of the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Enhanced Emissions and Safety Test Program.
• Advised on public access to government records, non-disclosure agreements, data privacy and procurements for renewable energy and energy storage.

• Advised on clean water and safe drinking water topics, including those subject to New York and Massachusetts clean water laws, as well as the enforcement and permitting requirements under the NPDES and SPDES programs.
• Negotiated and drafted watershed preservation restrictions, easements and fee interest documents.
• Counseled various Massachusetts public entities on compliance with M.G.L. c. 21E, the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, and CERCLA, including how these requirements apply to contaminated lands under their care, custody and control.
• Assisted with environmental audits; environment, health, and safety issues in acquisitions and divestitures; and risk management for new products and services.
• Provided legal review of electric and gas utility rate tariffs and special utility contracts, including dockets for utility rates and net metering for small hydroelectric facilities and other renewable energy resources.
• Represent an entity opposed to a plan to have commercial aquaculture in Massachusetts waters.
• Advising a large multinational oil and gas company regarding issues associated with existing company assets and the planned relocation of major highway bridge facilities in Massachusetts.
• Counsel to global manufacturing company in defense of citizen suit alleging violations of the CWA and RCRA, at a facility in upstate New York.
• Advise electric company regarding investigation and cleanup of a river in major metropolitan area and defend client in any associated claims.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, Albany Law School, 1999BA, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1995

• October 2020 Nickel Report Post Summary

  By Michael Altieri, John R. Bobka |November 2020

• Massachusetts Races to Decarbonize the Peak, The National Law Review
• Sitting Still (or How State Anti-Idling Laws Are Landing Transit and Transportation Companies in Federal Court), Pratt’s Energy Law Report
• Heading Down Different Paths: An Update on PFAS Regulatory Developments in Northeastern States and at the Federal Level, Environmental Law Institute