Michael Parr

Experience

1. Attorney - Water Quality Section of the Environmental Law Division

   Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

   Sep 2008 — Present · Austin, US

   Attorneys in the Environmental Law Division of the Office of Legal Services manage the legal services for the agency in environmental law by providing legal counsel and support to the Executive Director\'s Office of Water, Compliance and Enforcement, Administrative Services & Registration, Chief Engineer\'s Office, agency programs, and along with the general counsel and the public interest counsel, the commissioners. The Division ensures that commission decisions follow the law, and agency rules are developed in compliance with statutory authority and are applied consistently. Specifically, the Water Quality section provides legal counsel to the agency in all areas related to water quality permitting and authorizations, provides legal input during the process of promulgating agency rules related to water quality, and represents the Executive Director in contested permitting matters in accordance with state law and the agency’s rules related to hearings.The Water Quality section’s functions also include legal counsel and support related to federal program delegations, interpretation of environmental statutes and rules, support for the Office of the Attorney General in state and federal court litigation, and the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, which regulates activities, including construction, that have the potential to pollute the Edwards Aquifer.