Dave Schmitt brings his background in Biology and Forestry to his practice in the firm’s Environmental and Litigation Groups. Prior to becoming an attorney, Dave earned a B.S. in Biology and a Master of Science in Forestry, as well as conducting forestry research in Maine and Haiti. Since joining Cors & Bassett in 1991, Dave has served as counsel in several pieces of major CERCLA and RCRA litigation representing state government, private industry and citizen groups. Dave also specializes in representing private and public sector clients in the redevelopment of brownfields areas for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes and has worked on numerous such projects in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana.

Dave’s environmental expertise also extends into Solid Waste permitting and regulation. He currently serves as the Chair of the Grant County Kentucky Solid Waste Management District, also known as the 109 Board. The Board is charged with the oversight and regulation of landfills and other environmental matters in the County. The Board received one of the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission’s Earth Day Awards in 2004 in recognition of its statewide leadership on solid waste issues.

In 1997 Dave was appointed as a member of the Environmental Health Subcommittee of the Northern Kentucky Independent Health Department’s Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence (“PACE”) project. The subcommittee worked for two years to identify and prioritize environmental issues for a four-county area in Northern Kentucky and developed action plans to address those issues.

Dave is admitted to practice in the State of Ohio and is a member of the Cincinnati, Ohio State, and American Bar Associations (Environmental and Admissions Committees). He is also an Associate Member of the Solid Waste Coordinators of Kentucky.

Dave is a frequent speaker on numerous environmental issues including: Brownfields Redevelopment presentations to numerous community groups, the Miami University Environmental Studies Program, and the Brownfields Opportunities for Kentucky Communities Symposium presented by the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals; many presentations to the International Right-Of-Way Association including Conservation Easements, Watershed Management, and Wetlands Permitting and Enforcement; numerous presentations on Leaking Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Remediation Issues, Environmental Criminal Liability, Wetlands Liability, Environmental Criminal Liability, and Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act Enforcement Issues. In addition, Dave delivers an annual presentation on Medical Malpractice and Medical/Legal Issues to the Saint Elizabeth Medical Center’s Family Practice Residency Program and provides mock depositions for the same program.