Robert J. Brundage
Environmental and Agriculture Attorney
Practice Areas
Environmental Law
Agricultural Law
Mr. Brundage has represented clients on a wide variety of matters including litigation, administrative law, permitting, and land use issues. He represents clients in matters before the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His clients include industrial, municipal, and agricultural clients who require guidance on environmental compliance, litigation, permitting, and lobbying the MDNR, the MDA, and the General Assembly. Mr. Brundage also represents clients under enforcement by MDNR, EPA, MDA and citizens’ lawsuits enforcing federal environmental laws.
Expertise
Mr. Brundage formerly served as in-house environmental counsel for Smithfield Hog Production (formerly Premium Standard Farms). As counsel to the nation’s largest pork producer, he represented the company in matters ranging from EPCRA/CERCLA reporting, to water and air permitting matters, to environmental litigation.
Mr. Brundage has been intimately involved in the Missouri Clean Water Commission and the Missouri Air Conservation Commission rulemaking process. He attends Clean Water Commission and Air Conservation Commission meetings to monitor rulemakings and policies which affect his clients and provides regulatory comments during this process.
He has handled matters before the Supreme Court of Missouri, the Missouri Court of Appeals, and before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the EPA’s rulemaking actions.
Mr. Brundage serves as counsel to the Missouri Agribusiness Association, Missouri Pork Association, and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association where he lobbies for environmental and agricultural laws and regulations favorable to Missouri agribusiness and the livestock industry. He also represents the grain and agrichemical industry in permitting and enforcement actions affecting grain handling and agrichemical facilities.
Experienced
From 1987 through 1994, he served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Division of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office where he handled both civil and administrative litigation matters. He prosecuted civil enforcement actions before circuit courts all over the state. These matters involved enforcement of Missouri’s Hazardous Waste Management Law, Solid Waste Management Law, Clean Water Law, Air Conservation Law, Dam and Reservoir Safety Law, and Public Drinking Water Law.
As an Assistant Attorney General, a sizeable part of his practice consisted of administrative work before various environmental commissions and councils. For instance, he handled numerous appeals of NPDES operating and storm water permits, air construction permits, solid waste management permits, and RCRA Part B permits. In addition to permit litigation, he litigated appeals of administrative orders before various commissions. He served as General Counsel to the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission, the Missouri State Soil and Water Districts Commission and the Missouri Dam & Reservoir Safety Council. He also served as Assistant General Counsel to the Missouri Clean Water Commission and the Missouri Land Reclamation Commission.
Representative Cases
- Trenton Farms Re, LLC v. Hickory Neighbors United, Inc., 603 S.W.3d 286 (Mo. 2020)
- Friends of Responsible Agriculture v. Bennett, 542 S.W.3d 345 (2017)
- Board of Directors of Richland Township. v. Kenoma, LLC, 284 S.W.3d 672 (2009)