Stephen A. Johnson serves as a testifying or consulting expert in disputes regarding contaminated sites, penalties sought in government enforcement actions, and compliance with site cleanup and hazardous waste regulations, among other services. He lectures regularly at Stanford University.
Mr. Johnson testifies on contaminated site issues in the context of cost recovery actions under CERCLA, analogous state statutes, and insurance recovery litigation. He has testified in state and federal court, and in arbitration proceedings in the U.S. and internationally.
Mr. Johnson helps clients negotiate or litigate government enforcement actions by determining appropriate penalties for alleged noncompliance. He addresses both the policy-based component and the economic benefit of noncompliance. Mr. Johnson also develops defenses to noncompliance allegations.
Mr. Johnson has held multiple public sector positions. He was an assistant director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, where he was responsible for all of Arizona’s waste-related programs. Mr. Johnson worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a hazardous waste enforcement chief, a Superfund remedial project manager, and a Clean Water Act inspector and enforcement officer.