Peter M. Ornstein
PETER ORNSTEIN, MS, J.D., specializes in environmental law and policy. Peter served as Deputy Regional Counsel, and occasionally Acting Regional Counsel, for the Environmental Protection Agency in Denver from 2002 through August 2012. In this capacity, he supervised approximately 13 attorneys involved in diverse aspects of environmental law including energy development and use, water resources and transfers, mineral extraction, and pesticide use as well as personnel and labor relations, information law, and Indian tribal jurisdiction. Prior to being on the EPA's Regional Senior Leadership Team, Peter was an EPA staff attorney working on hazardous waste management, federal facilities remediation, and a variety of media enforcement cases.
In addition to his legal degree, Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in geology and a Master of Science in hydrogeology. Peter worked as a hydrogeologist with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission where he assessed the performance of the proposed Yucca Mountain high level waste repository.
Peter teaches environmental law at the University of Denver, Sturm School of Law, where he provides instruction on all major federal environmental statutes and constitutional land use "takings" issues.
