Steven Cook

Steven Cook advises clients on matters involving environmental and natural resources law and policy.

Prior to joining Bracewell, Steven served as Deputy Assistant Administrator at the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During his tenure at the EPA, Steven led teams responsible for issuing final rulemaking packages and guidance documents addressing the risk management plan or RMP rule, closure of coal ash (or CCR) ponds and landfills, disposal and destruction of PFAS contaminated waste and other PFAS remediation issues as well as developing new approaches to cleaning up abandoned hardrock mining sites. 

Steven chaired the Superfund Taskforce which developed and implemented over 40 recommendations to improve the program with an emphasis on timely addressing contamination and returning the land back to the community as a useful asset. He was also instrumental in helping the EPA team move forward with clean-up plans at some of the most complex river and port sites and other languishing clean-ups. 

Prior to the EPA, for over 20 years Steven was the lead counsel globally for environmental, health, safety and security issues for the multinational, independent chemical company LyondellBasell and some of its predecessors. His responsibilities included addressing environmental issues at manufacturing sites across five continents. While at Lyondell, he led an industry coalition which developed ground-breaking science regarding ozone formation in the Houston area which the group then used to support an innovative control scheme that resulted in significant reductions in ozone levels.

With his experience in working with local communities at EPA, whether in large group meetings or in the front room of a home near a Superfund site, Steven is well-positioned to assist the firm’s clients on environmental justice issues.