Howard J. Wein

How Howard Helps Clients

Howard helps clients do well while also working for the greater good.

His environmental practice has focused on important water quality, waste management, environmental cleanups of brownfields, energy and air quality matters at both the state and federal levels. He has handled major environmental litigation in Federal Court, Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania's Environmental Hearing Board.

Litigation work for clients in the oil, gas, energy and natural resources industries has included cases under the Federal Clean Water Act, Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, the Pennsylvania Non Coal and Coal Surface Mining Acts, the Solid Waste Management Act, the Federal Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, the Oil & Gas Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (the “Superfund Law”). Howard has resolved matters with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as well as state agencies in New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Delaware. He has assisted clients with Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) agreements, Title V and Air Quality Permitting under the Federal Clean Air Act, Pennsylvania's Air Pollution Control Act and Allegheny County's air pollution program.

He has also handled complex transactions on behalf of buyers and sellers of industrial properties and assisted clients in environmental cleanups under Pennsylvania’s environmental cleanup program, the Act 2 Program. To that end, his practice has provided assistance in the development of environmental legislation and regulations in Pennsylvania, including the Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Remediation Standards Act, the Act 2 program.

Howard has written numerous publications and is a frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and other continuing legal education programs. He published his first law review article in the Duquesne Law Review, in 1977, on the interface of bankruptcy and environmental law.

Before Buchanan, Howard served as assistant attorney general and later assistant counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.

What Clients Can Expect

Howard offers clients incomparable expertise in environmental regulation and litigation guided by his commitment to the conservation of natural resources and environmental protection in Pennsylvania.

Outside the Office

Howard likes to relax with recreational bike riding or photography. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and three grown children.

I am confident that we can achieve positive results.

Proof Points

• Has assisted various developers in reclaiming brownfields for productive use through Pittsburgh and the region, including the Eastside Project with Whole Foods, the Target store in East Liberty and Summerset at Frick Park, a former slag pile that is now an upscale residential community, as well as numerous former gasoline service stations.
• Served on the transition team on environmental issues for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge with Jim Seif and Dave Hess, who both later became Secretaries of the Department of Environmental Protection and John Oliver, who became the first Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Served on the transition team study group on environmental issues for Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell (2002-2003).
• Recipient, Fox Calhoun Award, 2012 Annual Awards Dinner of the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC).
• Two-time recipient, Environmental Achievement Award, from the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Environmental and Energy Law Section; first as a member of the founding planning committee for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Environmental Law Forum, and the second time as an individual awardee.
• Frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), the Environmental Law Institute, the National Association of Attorneys General, National Business Institute and Continuing Legal Education (CLE).
• Served as a course planner for many programs, including the first 11 annual PBI Environmental Law Forums. He and the other course planners were honored with an Environmental Achievement Award by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Environmental, Mineral and Natural Resources Law Section.
• Has published many articles and course materials, including an article in a 1977 Duquesne Law Review, the first law journal article addressing environmental regulation and the Federal Bankruptcy Act.
• Ranked by Chambers USA since 2005.
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list for over a decade.
• The Best Lawyers in America^® list consistently since 2006 under the Environmental Law category; "Lawyer of the Year," 2017 and 2025 Best Lawyers editions.