Lauren M. Gates

Counsel

Washington, DC

Phone Number

Lauren Gates advises clients on regulatory, compliance, enforcement, and litigation matters arising under federal and state environmental and chemical laws. Specifically, her practice focuses on matters under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Lauren joined Keller and Heckman from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where she served for many years as a senior attorney in the Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office (PTSLO) within EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC). In that role, she advised leadership and program officials across EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), and EPA Regional offices on a broad range of chemical and pesticide regulatory issues.

Lauren also worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Environment and Natural Resources Division, providing legal and technical guidance in litigation involving challenges to EPA regulations and agency actions under TSCA and FIFRA. In addition, Lauren has substantial enforcement experience, having supported EPA regulatory enforcement actions in Region 10 under FIFRA, the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

Drawing on her extensive experience within EPA, Lauren provides practical, strategic, and forward-looking counsel to clients navigating complex regulatory requirements, compliance obligations, and enforcement risks in highly regulated industries.

(Admitted to practice in West Virginia only. Practice limited to matters before the EPA and matters ancillary thereto.)

Representative Matters

Advised on multiple TSCA existing chemical risk evaluation and risk management actions and associated litigation
Provided legal counsel on actions arising under the TSCA Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) and TSCA 8(d) Health and Safety Reporting rules
Reviewed pesticide tolerance petitions and associated rulemaking actions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to identify legal areas of concern; drafted and reviewed EPA responses to petitions to revoke tolerances; and worked on over 60 tolerance rulemaking actions
Drafted EPA responses to disputes relating to pesticide data compensation claims under FIFRA
Counseled on FIFRA registration review actions for existing pesticides
Counseled on proposed registration actions for new pesticides and new uses of existing registered pesticides; drafted and reviewed EPA’s responses to petitions to cancel pesticide registration and uses
Negotiated settlement of enforcement actions under FIFRA, TSCA, RCRA, and the CAA; drafted enforcement documents including Stop Sale, Use and Removal Orders, Consent Agreements and Final Orders, Notices of Filing, and reviewed case summaries and administrative penalty justifications

Awards

EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC):
- Bronze Medal: Existing Chemicals Risk Evaluation and Risk Management Team
EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP):
- Administration Resources Management Award: TSCA Fees Rules
- OCSPP Bronze Medals for Commendable Service: TCEP Risk Evaluation and Phthalates Cumulative Risk Assessments
- George (Jeff) Herndon Collaboration Award: 2020 revisions to the Chemical Data Reporting rule
- Exemplary Customer Service Award: TSCA Risk Evaluation Cross-Cutting Issues