Bio

Joseph Dischinger practice focuses on issues related to water rights and environmental law, including litigation and transactional work in both fields. For more than thirty-five years, Joe works with businesses, private landowners, and governments throughout Colorado to handle water right evaluation, acquisition, protection, and transfer matters. His experience spans all areas of Colorado water law including applications for conditional and absolute water rights, changes of water rights, direct flow and storage water rights, exchanges, and augmentation plans. When needed, Joe handles related litigation in water law disputes including easements and rights-of-way, powers and management of ditch companies, and abandonment of water rights. Among other clients, Joe is general counsel for the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company. For more than two decades, Joe has also advised clients in environmental matters. He regularly counsels companies, real estate developers, and environmental cleanup firms on environmental compliance, permitting, and risk allocation. His focus in these matters is to find practical solutions to routine and complex environmental problems. Joe works to help clients comply with environmental requirements, negotiate intergovernmental agreements, and maintain good relationships with regulators. He has experience with nearly all federal and state environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Price-Anderson Amendments Act, and laws and regulations relating to the transportation of nuclear and hazardous materials. Joe ensures clients are compliant, while remediating contaminated properties, representing regulated parties in enforcement defense, and helping to assess, manage, and allocate risk from environmental conditions in real estate and corporate transactions. He has also handled litigation involving CERCLA, NEPA, CWA, the Federal Highway Act, and claims for environmental indemnification.