PFAS Forum IV Moderators

Managing Shareholder, The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm, P.A.

Michael R. Goldstein, Managing Shareholder of The Goldstein Environmental Law Firm, P.A., and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent and Chambers and Partners rated attorney, practices exclusively in the areas of environmental law and environmental redevelopment for a broad range of clients, including retail, residential, and industrial developers, public and private companies, real estate funds, lenders, and local governments. A major aspect of Mr. Goldstein’s environmental legal practice involves support of real estate and business transactions, including managing pre-acquisition and pre-leasing due diligence investigations; structuring, negotiating, and drafting environmental provisions in purchase, lease, and development agreements; and assisting lenders evaluate and limit the risk of exposure to environmental liability in connection with new loans and potential foreclosures. In addition, he works closely and extensively with real estate development principals and engineering, planning, and design professionals to help coordinate federal, state and local regulatory approvals for complex retail, industrial, residential, mixed use, and marina related projects throughout the State of Florida. 

Mr. Goldstein’s practice has a heavy emphasis on the remediation, financing, and beneficial reuse of contaminated sites and involves a broad array of Brownfields related transactional, administrative, regulatory, legal, legislative, and policy work for clients in both the private and public sectors. He has developed a national reputation as one of the leading and most innovative Brownfields practitioners in Florida, working on important and precedent establishing projects as well as heading up or participating in numerous local, regional, state, and federal environmental restoration initiatives. On a statewide level, Mr. Goldstein was the founding Chairman of the Florida Brownfields Association and served as its Chairman and/or President for the first five years of the organization’s existence. Mr. Goldstein’s tenure as Chairman and President was distinguished by his commitment to elevating environmental justice and public health as critical areas of emphasis for business, community, regulatory agency, and local government stakeholders. In 1996, the Miami-Dade County Commission appointed him Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Brownfields Task Force, a post that he held until the committee’s business was completed in 2004. In January 2006, Mr. Goldstein was appointed to serve on the Advisory Board of the Bureau of National Affair’s highly respected Environmental Due Diligence Guide, which serves as a national reporting, editorial, and opinion forum for environmental transactions and related Brownfields and policy matters. In 2008, he founded and funded the Goldstein Brownfields Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering economically and health disadvantaged individuals and communities with scholarships, programming, and resources to restore polluted land, revitalize neighborhoods, and protect public health. The Goldstein Brownfields Foundation also focuses on increasing the ethnic and gender diversity of lawyers working in the environmental arena through academic scholarships, educational and career programming, and professional mentoring. In 2009, Mr. Goldstein was appointed to the Executive Committee of the National Brownfields Coalition, an affiliation of private and public sector stakeholders working in the U.S. Congress to advocate for improvements in environmental redevelopment policy and legislation. 

Partner, Head of Environmental Practice, Bilzin Sumberg  

Howard has more than 30 years of experience in environmental law and land development. He represents clients throughout all phases of the development process from site location through permitting and construction, as well as in permit appeals and defense of environmental enforcement matters.  Howard represents several national homebuilders throughout Florida and the eastern United States in pre-acquisition site analysis and post-acquisition remediation. He works closely with a network of environmental professionals, including engineers and planners. He also represents a variety of other types of businesses in contamination assessment and remediation.   Howard has extensive experience representing clients in complex wetland matters, including issues related to protected and sensitive wetlands, preservation efforts and enforcement defense. 

Senior Project Manager, Terracon

Chad Northington, PE, serves as a Senior Project Manager with Terracon with 24 years of industry experience in environmental engineering, project management, and technical sales.  

His engineering experience includes remediation system engineering and installation, in situ treatment design and application, and technical assistance across a broad spectrum of project and contaminant types under various regulatory frameworks.  His work experience includes implementation of various conventional and innovative remedial technologies, including in situ thermal, biological, micron-scale activated carbon, and chemical oxidation/reduction approaches.

Chad most recently served as the Southeast Senior District and Technical Manager for an environmental technology solutions firm.  In this role, he provided technical support for application of soil and groundwater remediation solutions working directly with environmental consulting, construction, and engineering firms and end users to develop turnkey remedial approaches for in situ-applied strategies.  He was responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating activities of the technical staff while providing personnel management and technical oversight.

Chad holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University.  He is also licensed in several states as a Professional Engineer.  In addition to his role as a professional in the environmental community, Chad also founded and directs a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in community development and outreach.

Chad’s interests generally revolve around the outdoors and sustainability.  Fishing, kayaking, and hobby farming (ask about his backyard sheep) rank pretty high on his interest list along with jumping on his motorcycle or road bike to get in some miles for fun or fitness.  Despite his many interests, most of his time is spent with his children and wife attending the multitude of sports events and activities that come from having three children between 10 and 14 (twins Josiah and Zach and daughter Chloe) and juggling responsibilities with his wife Tiffany who works in the medical field. 

Partner, Energy Transaction Advisors, LLC

Mr. Vanderau is a partner at Energy Transaction Advisors and a chemical engineer with 25 years of experience in the energy and chemical process industries. Mr. Vanderau has specialized in process modeling/design and technical/financial reviews of alternative energy and chemical projects by providing consulting services related to project development, project finance, acquisition,  and federal incentive programs. He has managed and participated in projects related to blue and green hydrogen, waste and biomass to transportation fuels, renewable power, carbon capture and sequestration, and chemical processing.  He has participated in the development of fertilizer, fossil power, gas storage, and renewable power projects, performing process modeling, air permitting support, and contract review for these projects.