Mr. Jones is a partner in the firm's Environmental Practice Group. His practice includes litigated, regulatory and transactional matters involving environmental and other technical issues. He has counseled clients with respect to a broad range of environmental and other matters, including air pollution control, water pollution control, solid and hazardous waste, industrial wastewater pretreatment, hazardous substance remediation and discharge prevention.
Environmental issues arise in many forms, including as regulatory compliance or enforcement actions, allocation proceedings among potentially responsible parties, impediments to commercial transactions or insurance coverage disputes. Mr. Jones has assisted clients to achieve cost-effective resolutions of these issues and to secure financial contributions toward these resolutions from other parties.
In his work, Mr. Jones attempts to understand as fully as possible the relevant business operations and technical background - historical and current - relating to an environmental matter. His bookshelves are filled with the texts he has collected in this endeavor, some over sixty years old, covering subjects such as chemical engineering, manufacturing processes, dyestuffs and textile chemicals, herbicides, metallurgy, metal casting, industrial hygiene, solid waste management, industrial wastewater control and municipal sewerage, as well as historical insurance literature. Thorough review of the environmental data and historical background relating to an environmental issue enables the firm's clients to present robust factual and legal positions that challenge conventional wisdom.
Mr. Jones has worked on behalf of policyholders to secure insurance coverage for alleged liability associated with a number of complex contaminated sites and other matters. Published decisions in such cases include ELAT, Inc. v. Aetna Cas. and Sur. Co., 280 N.J.Super. 62 (App.Div. 1995). His more recent insurance coverage matters have included claims relating to extensive and complex riverbed sediment contamination. He also has extensive experience in state and federal cleanup cost recovery actions, cleanup cost allocation proceedings and natural resource damages claims.
Other significant litigated matters have included a toxic tort action by former workers and neighbors of an herbicide plant involving issues of toxicology, epidemiology, medical monitoring, chemical engineering and industrial hygiene and a securities action involving allegations of improper accounting practices by a solid waste management company regarding landfill airspace amortization and accrual of costs of landfill closure and post-closure care. Published decisions in such cases include Ironbound Health Rights Advisory Com'n v. Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Co, 243 N.J.Super. 170 (App.Div. 1990).
He has also addressed the environmental aspects of many transactions involving the acquisition of industrial businesses and contaminated real property. He has also participated in litigation involving enforcement of environmental settlement agreements. Published decisions in such cases include High Voltage Engineering Corp. v. Pride Solvents & Chemical Co. of New Jersey, Inc., 326 N.J.Super. 356 (App.Div. 1999).
News
05/07/12, K. Lynott and F. Jones Case in Law360 "NJ Seeks Liability Finding in Water Contamination Case"
Speaking
06/20/07, Proposed Changes to NJ Soil Standards - Highlights and Potential Consequences
J. Forrest Jones
McCarter & English, LLP and ENVIRON Webinar
Events
06/20/2007, Proposed Changes to NJ Soil Standards - Highlights and Potential Consequences: Web Conference
Publications
03/12/12, NJDEP to Issue Remedial Priority Scores for Contaminated Properties in New Jersey: Potential Issues and Consequences
Lanny S. Kurzweil and Timothy L. Borkowski
M&E Environmental Alert
09/01/2007, New NJDEP Rules Expected to Turn Sites from Clean
J. Forrest Jones
September Issue of Commerce Magazine
06/06/07, Proposed Soil Remediation Standards Raise Significant Concerns
Lanny S. Kurzweil, J. Forrest Jones and Paul C. Dritsas
McCarter & English Alert
10/01/2003, Facing the Environmental Demons before the Deal Closes
Keith E. Lynott and J. Forrest Jones
New Jersey Lawyer