Paul Jacobson
Overview
Paul Jacobson guides clients through their environmental and workplace safety challenges involving EPA, OSHA, state environmental and workplace safety agencies, and private parties.
Paul helps manufacturing, mining, and energy companies understand and manage federal and state requirements in RCRA, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, CERCLA, National Environmental Policy Act, and state corollaries. He responds to agency investigations, information requests, and enforcement, with notable experience in RCRA defense, including RCRA’s air emissions standards. He helps clients obtain and modify NPDES and water appropriation permits, TSDF permits, air construction and operating permits, and mining permits. He navigates site remediation challenges under CERCLA and RCRA Corrective Action. He helps companies with immediate and long-term responses to environmental disasters, including those implicating Risk Management Plan and Process Safety Management requirements, and involving the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and EPA CID. He works on civil and criminal environmental and toxic tort litigation. He also helps clients with California Proposition 65 product labeling requirements.
In the workplace safety context, Paul assists with all stages of OSHA inspections and enforcement, including OSH Review Commission litigation. He has defended companies in inspections involving a wide range of general industry and construction safety and health standards, including Process Safety Management, Permissible Exposure Limits, hazard communication, electrical protection, trenching, and robotics guarding. He has guided companies in their responses to employee fatalities, bridge collapses, explosions, and crane failures.
Paul regularly speaks and writes on environmental health and safety issues. He is on the board of directors of the Midwest Section of the Air & Waste Management Association. He served as managing editor of the Missouri Law Review in law school.
Credentials
Education
- University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law (J.D.), magna cum laude
- St. Olaf College (B.A.)
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
- Represented an aerospace manufacturer in EPA RCRA enforcement.
- Represented a food ingredients manufacturer in EPA-CID and U.S. CSB investigations into airborne release incident.
- Represented an electronics manufacturer in RCRA Corrective Action remediation.
- Represented a pharmaceutical company in CERCLA remediation of multi-media and multi-CoC site.
- Represented a global chemical company in investigation by EPA National Enforcement and Investigations Center.
- Represented a chemical company in ongoing risk management at portfolio of sites.
- Represented an agriculture company in responding to ethanol plant waste byproduct disposal.
- Represented an iron ore mine developer in obtaining air and water permits.
- Represented an animal feedyard in obtaining dismissal with prejudice of CAA citizen suit.
- Represented lead smelter and battery manufacturing plants in air, water, and waste permitting and enforcement matters.
- Represented a chemical company in resolving an RCRA air emission compliance matter using EPA audit policy.
- Represented a specialty chemical manufacturer in OSHA investigation into workplace fatality involving robotic palletizer.
- Represented a food manufacturing company in OSHA investigation into industrial dryer explosion.
- Represented a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor in OSHA investigation into workplace fatality.
- Represented a bridge construction company in OSHA investigation into collapse.
- Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2026
- Missouri Lawyers Media, Up & Coming Attorney, 2025
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Environmental, 2023-2025
- Air & Waste Management Association, Midwest Section, Board of Directors
- “OSHA Review and Year Ahead,” American Society of Safety Professionals, Heart of America Chapter, January 2026
- “Year in Review,” REGFORM Missouri Air Compliance Seminar, November 2025
- “Administration Change Regulatory Update Presentation,” Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals – Heartland Chapter, April 2025
- “Presidential Transition Legal Overview Presentation,” A&WMA Midwest Annual Technical Conference, April 2025
- “The Future of the Exceptional Events Rule,” Environmental Manager Magazine, October 2024
- “RMP, Not as You Know It: How to Plan and Respond,” Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference, September 2024
- “EPA’s RMP Rule Changes Create Compliance Concerns,” Industry Today, May 2024
- “Recent Changes to RMP and PSM,” REGFORM Missouri Air Compliance Seminar, November 2023
- “RMP and PSM Are Changing – What You Need to Know,” Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference, September 2023
- “Chemical Process Safety Updates,” A&WMA Midwest Annual Technical Conference, May 2023
- “OSHA Inspection Management,” Midwest Construction Safety Conference, March 2023
- “Intro to Environmental Law,” University of Missouri Business School Class, October 2022
- “EH&S Compliance During COVID-19,” AWMA Midwest Monthly Meeting, September 2022
- “Will You Take OSHA Citations for $10,000? – Top 10 OSHA Developments of 2022,” Spencer Fane WorkSmarts Seminar, September 2022
- “Real Estate Environmental Considerations CLE,” Plaza Lights Institute, Kansas Bar Association, December 2021
- “Working with Environmental Regulations,” Air & Waste Management Association, Midwest Section, 2020 Young Professionals Conference, October 2020
- “Regulatory Review and Forecast,” Air & Waste Management Association, Midwest Section, Annual Conference, October 2019
- “Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule, Air & Waste Management Association, Midwest Section, Annual Technical Conference, February 2017