Robert J. Lambrechts

Mr. Lambrechts handles a broad range of environmental matters for manufacturers and other industrial concerns. His specialty in air quality issues results from four years as the Clean Air Act–State Legislation Team Leader and Title V Team Leader for Region VII. While working with the EPA, his responsibilities included assisting states in drafting clean air legislation and regulations, and developing and implementing federally approvable operating permit programs. In March 1995, he was appointed as special assistant to the regional administrator to assist in developing state partnership programs and to educate the regulated community on air quality issues. In addition to his adjunct faculty participation with University of Missouri Law School and College of Engineering, Mr. Lambrechts continues as a frequent lecturer to the regulated community on environmental issues and he previously chaired the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee.

Recent projects include serving as counsel in connection with:

• representation of a large Kansas manufacturing entity in negotiating a consent agreement and final order on site investigation and remediation pertaining to prior owner contamination of soil and groundwater.
• provided representation to two separate food manufacturing entities in enforcement actions with the U.S. Department of Justice on alleged Clean Water Act violations.
• assisted in the resolution of Clean Air Act Prevention of Significant Deterioration violations in the state of Iowa arising out of physical and operational modifications of industrial boilers and dryers.
• provided compliance counseling to a large natural gas pipeline on reciprocating internal combustion engine ("RICE") MACT standards.
• representation on a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) construction permit application for a highly controversial gas turbine powerplant to be located in Southeastern Missouri.
• assisted a large chemical manufacturer with the interpretation and utilization of the Kansas Audit Privilege statute for air emission exceedances it uncovered during an audit of plant operations.
• litigated and ultimately settled with the Department of Justice an alleged excess opacity violation against a large charcoal kiln operation located in West Virginia.
• represented a cement manufacturing and hazardous waste company with operations in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska as to their obligations under the hazardous waste combustor MACT standard.
• represented a banking client in the receivership of a warehouse subject to a RCRA consent decree.

• Panelist, "Artificial Rights?" Washburn Law Symposium, November 5, 2020
• Presenter, "Basics of Drone Law," Kansas Bar Association, June 18, 2020
• Presenter, Intellectual Property Fundamentals for the Engineering Law seminar, Halfmoon Education, November 28, 2018
• Panelist, "Strategies for Protecting Environmental Innovation and Your Company's Brand," Air & Waste Management Annual Conference, Hartford, CT, June 27, 2018
• Speaker, Ethics in the Engineering Profession, Society of American Military Engineers of Greater Kansas City, October 2017
• Speaker, Protecting Intellectual Property for Emerging Environmental Technologies, 2017 Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference, May 2017
• Speaker, The Intersection Between Intellectual Property Law and Environmental Law, Society of American Military Engineers, April 2017
• Speaker, RMP/PSM Update and Pitfalls – Enforcement Case Study, REGFORM 10th Annual Missouri Air Compliance Seminar, March 2017
• Speaker, The Intersection of Environmental Innovation and Intellectual Property, 25th Annual Midwest Section Air and Waste Management Association Environmental Technical Conference, February 2017
• Speaker, Missouri Air Compliance Seminar, March 2014
• Adjunct Faculty, UMKC Schools of Engineering and Law (1993-2012)
• Speaker, Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors (2001-2004)
• Speaker and Moderator, Environmental Conference at the Lake, Sponsored by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce (2001-2003)
• Speaker and Moderator, Midwest Region Environmental Conference, Sponsored by Associated Industries of Missouri (2001-2006)
• Speaker, Associated Industries of Missouri, EPA's Risk Management Program (1996-1998)
• Speaker, Kansas University, Environmental Regulation Update (1997)
• Adjunct Faculty, Johnson County Community College (2002-2005)

• Co-Author, The Kansas Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being and the Path Forward, Kansas Task Force for Lawyer Well-Being, April 2021
• Author, May It Please The Algorithm, The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, December 2019
• Author, 3D Printing and Why Lawyers Should Care, The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, February 2019
• Author, Navigating the Change in Climate Change Regulation in Kansas and Beyond, The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, April 2017
• Author, The Drone Revolution, The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, February 2016 
• Co-Author, Air Dispersion Modeling in the Major Source Construction Permitting Process, Natural Resources & Environment, Summer 2013
• Author, Options for Invalidating Patents, Thomson Reuters News & Insight, May 2012
• Author, The U.S. Electrical Grid: Surviving Cyber-Terrorism and Solar Flares, Natural Resources & Environment, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Spring 2011
• Author, Green Technology and Patent Protection, MEI - A Publication by Associated Industries of Missouri, April 2010
• Author, Green Technology and Patent Protection, Air & Waste Management, April 2010
• Author, Ubiquitous Industrial and Commercial Boilers and Their Regulation under the Clean Air Act, Natural Resources & Environment, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Spring 2010
• Author, Title V of the Clean Air Act—Amendments of 1990, Journal of The Missouri Bar, Vol. 49, No. 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1993)
• Author, Missouri Air Permit Law, Missouri Environmental Law and Policy Review, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Sept. 1994)
• Author, Making Your Intellectual Property Pay Off, EM - A publication of the Air and Waste Management Association (March 2003)
• Author, The Clean Air Act's Accidental Release Prevention Program,
• Missouri Environmental Law and Policy Review, Vol 5, No. 1 (Sept. 1997)
• Author, Internet Deep Linking, Kansas City Business Journal, (Oct. 1998)
• Author, MDNR's Tool Box For Encouraging Compliance, Missouri Environmental Law and Policy Review, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Dec. 2001)

• Executive Committee, Kansas Task Force for Lawyer Well-Being
• Chief Legal Officer and Board of Directors Member, Kansas City Augmented Intelligence Lab (KCAIL)
• The Missouri Bar
• Kansas Bar Association
• Licensed Patent Attorney
• Licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri
• Past Chair, Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee
• Commander United States Navy Reserve (Retired)
• Past Chair, UMKC Civil and Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board
• Board of Directors, Kansas City Inventors Association
• Chair, Board of Directors, Heart to Heart International
• Johnson County Ethics and Grievance Committee of the Kansas Disciplinary Administrator's Office

• Emergency Medical Technician
• Heart to Heart International, Board of Directors, Chair
• RegaloRx, Board of Directors

• Certified, Artificial Intelligence: Business Strategies and Applications, University of California, Berkeley
• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2023
• 50 Kansans You Should Know, Ingram's, 2020
• 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property
• 2013 Top Rated Lawyer for Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources
• Selected as Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, 2008-2009
• Selected by peers for “Best of the Bar,” The Kansas City Business Journal, 2003 and 2004
• Martindale-Hubbell® “AV” Rating
• United States Environmental Protection Agency Bronze Medals for Commendable Performance, 1993 & 1995
• Two United States Environmental Protection Agency Special Achievement Awards, 1993 & 1995