Ankur Tohan is a partner in the firm’s Seattle office and a practice group coordinator for the firm's global Environment, Land, and Natural Resources practice group. Ankur’s practice focuses on energy infrastructure and natural resource development, compliance counseling, and defense of governmental and citizen enforcement actions. With an emphasis on renewable energy development and carbon management, Ankur advises a variety of industries on issues related to energy transition, expanding opportunities in the blue economy, as well as the impact of shifting carbon policies. In addition, Ankur works with clients on a broad range of complex regulatory, permitting, and enforcement matters, under federal and state laws, related to wildlife and natural resource management, pollution control, and cleanup of hazardous wastes.
Ankur assists clients with complex regulatory, permitting, and enforcement matters under a range of environmental statutes, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Model Toxic Control Act (MTCA).
Prior to joining K&L Gates, Ankur was an assistant regional counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he worked on complex environmental enforcement, civil defense, and permitting matters. Ankur served as the lead Clean Water Act (CWA) attorney in Region 10 on wetland enforcement actions and jurisdictional issues under the CWA; oil and gas NPDES permitting; and forestry matters under the CWA and NEPA.
Ankur has travelled throughout Alaska, including Kenai Peninsula and the North Slope, which has allowed him to work directly with several native communities as well as the North Slope Borough.
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Washington - Environment, 2017 - 2022
- Listed in the Best Lawyers in America® in Seattle for Energy Law and Natural Resources Law, 2023
- Clean-Water Act Handbook, Pre-Treatment and Indirect Dischargers, contributor/editor
- ELI - Law of Environmental Protection, Clean Water Act, editor
- Washington State Bar Association
- Washington State Bar Association, Environmental and Land Use Section, Newsletter editor
- Northwest Environmental Business Council, Board of Directors member
- Moderator, The Blue Economy, K&L Gates “The Role of Ports in Supporting Offshore Wind Development,” 16 November 2022
- Moderator, Offshore Wind Executive Summit the Parallels of Wind, Oil, & Gas, “Offshore Wind: Ports and Supply Chain Development” 8 November 2022
- Presenter, Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, Webinar Series, “Workshop on Inflation Reduction Act opportunities for Renewable Energy,” 27 September 2022
- Moderator and Presenter, Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition, NIPPC Annual Meeting, “Offshore Wind: Nuts, Bolts, and the Pacific,” 12 September 2022
- Host and Presenter, Northwest Environmental Business Council’s Oregon’s Energy Future Offshore Wind Symposium, "OSW Permitting and Approvals,” 8 September 2022
- Host and Presenter, Pacific Northwest Environmental Industry Summit VI, "Energy Transition and Environmental Markets in the 2020s: A Strategic Review and Executive Networking Event," 20 July 2022
- Presenter, 2022, Timberlands Virtual Event, "Developing Renewable Energy Projects on Timberlands," May 2022
- Presenter, 2021 "Litigation Developments Endangered Species Act," The Seminar Group, January 2022
- Presenter, "Harnessing the Potential: Offshore Wind Energy on the West Coast," Northwest Environmental Business Council, 2021 Energy Leadership Summit
- Presenter, "Applying 45-Q to RNG, Biomass and Beyond," 2021 Carbon Capture and Carbon to Value Virtual Conference. July 2021
- Moderator, "Fires in the Pacific Northwest – Environmental Issues, Water Contamination, Endangered Species," The Seminar Group, April, 2021
- Presenter, "Greenhouse Gas Assessments for Projects (GAP) Rulemaking, WSBA Environmental & Land Use Law Section," Mid-Year, April, 2021
- Program Co-Chair, "Floodplain Regulation: Development in Oregon & Washington Public Ports," The Seminar Group, four part series. February - March, 2021
- Moderator, "Update from the New Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology," Northwest Environmental Business Council, February, 2021
- Moderator, "The Equity Imperative: Advancing Environmental Justice in the Clean Energy Economy," Clean Tech Alliance, and Northwest Environmental Business Council Energy, Leadership Summit, November, 2020
- Presenter, "SEPA Policy Update: Greenhouse Gas Assessments for Projects (GAP) Rulemaking," Northwest Environmental Business Council, Remediation Conference, October, 2020
- Presenter, "Next Generation Infrastructure," Washington Public Ports Association Environmental Seminar, September 2019
- Moderator, "Natural Gas: Reckoning With The Future," NIPPC Annual Meeting, September 2019
- Presenter, "SEPA & NEPA The Developer’s Perspective," The 16th Annual Intensive One-Day Seminar on SEPA & NEPA, January 2019
- Presenter, "Energy Flow & The Dormant Commerce Clause," The Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition Annual Meeting, October 2018
- Presenter, "Carbon Regimes in Washington and California," Oregon Farm Bureau, September 2018.
- Presenter, "Renewable Energy Workshop - The Secret Sauce in Renewable Energy: Competition," June 2018
- Presenter, "Wetlands in Washington," Law Seminars International, May 2018
- Presenter, "The Mighty Columbia," The Seminar Group, March 2018
- Presenter, "Citizen Suits: The nuts and bolts for bringing and defending against private enforcement actions," Law Seminars International, February 2018
- Presenter, "Impact on Washington of the 2016 Election and Clean Water Policy and Enforcement Priorities at the Federal Level," Law Seminars International, June 2017
- Presenter, "Can Trump Dismantle the EPA as Promised?" The Seminar Group, Environmental Law in the Trump Administration, March 2017
- Presenter, "The Department of Interior/Commerce in the Trump Era," The Seminar Group, Environmental Law in the Trump Administration, March 2017
- Presenter, "Wetlands, Permitting, Case Law Update (Dairy and Manure; Downstream Impacts)," The Seminar Group Agriculture Law Seminar, February 2017
- Presenter, "Energy Infrastructure and Carbon Policy: Impacts & Opportunities," Northwest & Intermountain Power Producers Coalition (NIPPC) Annual Meeting, 2016
- Presenter, "Legislative, Regulatory and Section 4 Update," Endangered Species Act Conference, 2016
- Presenter, "Washington’s Energy Future Conference," NEBC, 2015
- Presenter, "Permitting Strategies for Large, Controversial Projects in Washington State and the Northwest," The Seminar Group, 2015
- Presenter, "Clean Water Act Update: Recent Adoption of Regulations Clarifying the Clean Water Act," K&L Gates, 2015
- Presenter, "Buying & Selling Electric Power in the West: Regulating Interstate Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gases," Law Seminars International CLE, 2015
- Presenter, Endangered Species Act Conference, The Seminar Group, 2014
- Presenter, Wetlands in Washington, Law Seminars International CLE, 2012
- Moderator, Alaska Shale Conference, K&L Gates, 2012
- Presenter, Wetlands in Washington, Law Seminars International CLE, 2011
- Guest lecturer, Environmental Law Fundamentals, Seattle University Law School, February 2008, 2010
- Presenter, Wetlands in Washington, Law Seminars International CLE, 2010.
- Presenter, Fundamentals of Environmental Compliance Inspections, National Enforcement Institute, July 2008
- Presenter, Wetlands in Washington, Law Seminars International CLE, 2007
- Presenter, Society for Ecological Restoration and Society of Wetland Scientists Joint Conference, September 2007
- “Proposed Regulations to Improve Offshore Wind Lease Auction Processes and Timelines,” ALI CLE’s The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, May 2023
- “A Significant First Step For Pa. Carbon Capture Programs,” Law360, 5 April 2023
- “How Proposed BOEM Regs Will Boost Offshore Wind Projects,” Law360, 1 February 2023
- “What To Expect From Biden Admin.'s NEPA Updates,” Law360, 12 May 2022
- “Carbon Dioxide Shortage in the United Kingdom,” Pratt’s Energy Law Report, May 2022
- “California Offshore Wind Ramping Up,” Pratt’s Energy Law Report, May 2022
- “NY, NJ Lease Auctions Highlight US Push For Offshore Wind,” Law360, 10 February 2022
- "Vacatur Of Trump Water Rule Means More Uncertainty Ahead," Law360, 29 September 2021
- “Bridging the GAP Between Environmental Assessments and Carbon Reduction Mandates”, Washington State Bar, Environmental and Land Use Section, 19 August 2021
- “Chapter Six: Pretreatment and Indirect Dischargers,” The Clean Water Act Handbook, Fourth Edition
- “Chapter 13. Clean Water Act”, Law of Environmental Protection (Environmental Law Series), 2021-1 Edition
- “2019 Offshore Wind Handbook”, October 2019
- “Permitting for Energy Projects on Washington’s Coast,” NWLawyer, July/August 2017
- “When States Fail To Act On Federal Pipeline Permits,” Law360, 24 July 2017
- Co-Author, CEQ Issues Final Greenhouse Gas Guidance Directing Federal Agencies to Consider Climate Change in Their NEPA Reviews, Pratt’s Energy Law Report, Vol. 16-9, October 2016
- "FWS Bat Intake Rule Won't Drive Project Developers Batty," Law360, 25 January 2016
- “Greenhouse Gas Regulation in Washington: What the Clean Power Plan and Washington Clean Air Rule Mean for the State,” Environmental & Land Use Law Newsletter, Washington State Bar Association, Vol. 41, No. 3, November 2015
- Mentioned, "Briefly: 5th Circuit Says Clean Water Permit For Pipeline Was Issued Properly," Mealey's Daily News Update, 10 January 2023
- Quoted, “Biggest Environmental Cases To Watch In 2023,” Law360, 2 January 2023
