Rebecca J. Rentz Rejoins Firm's Environmental Group
May 12, 2008
HOUSTON (May 12, 2008) - Rebecca J. Rentz rejoins Bracewell & Giuliani as Counsel in the firm’s Environmental Group in its Houston office.
Ms. Rentz served as the Houston Air Quality Director and Counsel to the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, working on regulatory matters including air permitting, investigation and enforcement of regulatory entities in Harris County. As TCEQ’s top administrator for air issues in the region, her key responsibilities included targeting agency resources, briefing elected officials on TCEQ programs and priorities and coordinating the agency’s scientific, legal and enforcement efforts with respect to the Houston area's significant air pollution challenges. In 2007, she was named Environmental Regulator of the Year by the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals.
Prior to joining TCEQ, Ms. Rentz worked at Bracewell for five years as an environmental associate representing clients in regulatory compliance issues including civil and criminal enforcement actions, ozone control requirements under the Houston-area State Implementation Plan and associated transportation conformity concerns, state and federal superfund programs, state and federal environmental audit programs and permit consultation. She also helped assist clients in mitigating environmental liability in real estate and financial transactions.
“Rebecca is a leader in the world of environmental law, and we are pleased to have her back after her government service," said Timothy Wilkins, head of Bracewell's Environmental Group. "Her wealth of practical, hands-on knowledge will be a benefit to our practice as we seek to aid our clients in compliance, mitigation of liability, and public policy initiatives.”
Ms. Rentz will increase the depth and breadth of Bracewell's national air and Environmental Strategies team which already includes such authorities as Jeff Holmstead, the immediate past head of U.S. EPA's air office, and Rich Alonso, who recently joined Bracewell after serving as EPA's Branch Chief for stationary air emissions source enforcement, significantly enhancing the firm's expertise on strategic air permitting, enforcement, regulatory, and policy issues to better serve our clients with major operations in Texas.
Ms. Rentz graduated from the University of Texas in 1993 with a degree in Economics, and received her J.D. from the University of Houston in 2000. In addition to her environmental law efforts, she helped to craft health policy while serving as the Policy Director for Environmental and Health Issues under Harris County Judge Robert Eckels.