Partner
1675 Broadway, Suite 2300
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone: (303) 825-7000
Fax: (303) 825-7005
Cell phone: (720) 236-6718
jputnam@kaplankirsch.com
Vcard

Mr. Putnam’s practice emphasizes litigation and counseling for public and private entities on complex transportation, energy and, public/private projects. Mr. Putnam has extensive experience providing clients with strategic advice on controversial development and transportation projects, including airports, highways, alternative energy facilities, real estate development, and other infrastructure projects throughout the country. He counsels clients regarding a wide range of environmental, transportation, energy and development issues, including the National Environmental Policy Act, air quality, climate change, public utilities, noise, innovative finance, land use, water and wetlands, and endangered species.

He has provided strategic advice and representation on some of the nation’s largest transportation development projects (including O’Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and the proposed supplemental airport for Las Vegas), where he has been responsible for ensuring that the environmental documentation complies with the wide range of federal, state and local environmental requirements for such projects. He has also helped develop municipal climate and air quality action plans.

Mr. Putnam has considerable experience with litigation, regulatory compliance, rulemaking and enforcement matters that implicate the wide range of energy, transportation, and environmental laws.  For example, Mr. Putnam maintains an active practice before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, where he has successfully represented independent power producers in PUC litigation to retire coal-fired facilities in the Denver Metropolitan Area, as well as brownfield development interests in litigation to reform environmental tariffs that would have burdened infill development.

Mr. Putnam has represented airports in successful litigation against the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to protect airport airspace from a proposed wind project, against a nationally prominent wealthy landowner in litigation for noise and overflights of a historic property in Florida, and against a qui tam plaintiff alleging violations of the Clean Air Act by two large California airports. He represented the City of Minneapolis in litigation against the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport that resulted in a settlement that included noise insulation to almost 10,000 homes.

He has also represented private and public sector clients in significant public utilities and enforcement matters under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and Colorado law involving power generation facilities, water supply, mobile sources, and natural gas processing.

Mr. Putnam is active in the community as a Member of the Regional Air Quality Council for the Denver metropolitan area, a Trustee for the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, and Chairman of the Climate Change and Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation Research Board.  Mr. Putnam is also a co-founder of and active in the Partners for Rural Improvement and Development in Ethiopia nonprofit corporation, which is building school, clean water and sanitation facilities in the Highlands of Ethiopia.

Recent Publications and Seminars

Publications

  • “Climate Change and Adaptation," Transportation Research Circular E-C148, (2011)
  • “Environmental Review Proess," Transportation Research Circular, E-C148, (2011)
  • “Legal Research Digest 7 - Airport Governance and Ownership”, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies (Aug. 2009)
  • “The Law of Aviation-Related Climate Change: The Airport Proprietor’s Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” Journal of Airport Management (2007)
  • “Introduction to Airport Air Quality Law” (2005)
  • “Critical Issues in Aviation and the Environment,” Transportation Research Board Circular (2005, 2006 and 2011) (author of Environmental Process and Climate Change Chapters)

Seminars

  • “Adaptation to Climate Change,” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Moderator (2011)
  • “Environmental Review for NextGen:  Meeting the Challenge,” AAAE Role of Airports in NextGen Conference (2010)
  • “U.S. Climate Related Initiatives,” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2010)
  • “Effects of EPA Tightening of National Ambient Air Quality Standards,” ACI Mid-Year Environmental Meeting (2010)
  • “Year One of the Obama Administration:  Trends in Environmental Regulation,” National CLE Real Estate Session (2010)
  • “Air Quality Update:  General Conformity and Lead Regulations,” ACI Annual Meeting Environmental Workshop (2010)
  • “NEPA and Climate Change,” Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute (2009)
  • “Status of Clean Air Act ‘Endangerment’ Finding  and Climate Change Legislation,”  Airports Council International Environmental Meeting (2009)
  • “Infrastructure Permitting and Development,” Lorman CLE Conference, Conference Organizer and Speaker (2009)
  •  “Carbon and GHG Regulatory Compliance Issues,” AAAE Airport Air Quality Conference (2009)
  • “Recent Developments in NEPA Law,” National CLE (2009)
  • “Shifting into Neutral?; the Role of Carbon Offsets in Transportation,” Moderator, Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2008)
  • “Aviation and Climate Change: Legal and Regulatory Update,” American Association of Airport Executives Airport Air Quality Conference (2008)
  • “Where Might Airports Fit in Future Climate Regulation?”, Airports Council International Environmental Workshop (2007)
  • “Advanced Environmental Compliance” and “Project Development,” American Association of Airport Executives Airport Law Conference (2007)
  • “Update on Minneapolis Noise Litigation,” University of California Noise and Air Quality Conference (2007)
  • “Community Perspectives on Airport Land Use Compatibility,” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2006)
  • “Update Regarding Particulate and Toxics Issues,” Airports Council International Environmental Meeting (2005)
  • “Interaction of Local Planning Efforts with Regional Transportation Projects,” Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute (2005)
  • “The Naples Stage 2 Ban and the Effects of NAA v. FAA,” NOISE (2005)
  • “Air Quality 101” and “Overview of Major Airport Air Quality Developments,” American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Air Quality Conference (2005)
  • “Airport Compliance,” 21st Annual Basics of Airport Law Legal Update, American Association of Airport Executives (2005)
  • “Regulatory Developments Regarding Air Quality Standards and Air Toxics” and “Air Quality Permitting Workshop,” American Association of Airport Executives Annual Environmental Conference (2004)
  • “Project Mitigation: Legal Obstacles and Opportunities,” University of California Airport Air Quality Conference (2004)
  • “Recent Developments in the Environmental Review of Airport Projects,” Airports Council International Annual Environmental Meeting (2004)
  • “Hazardous Air Pollutants and Airports,” American Association of Airport Executives Environmental Management Conference (2003)
  • “Upcoming Particulate Matter Challenges and Research Needs,” University of California Air Quality Conference (2003)
  • “Intermodal Air Toxics Issues: Assessing Diesel Particulate Matter,” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2003)
  • “Legal Considerations for Farmers Considering Carbon Sequestration Agreements,” Carbon as a Potential Commodity Conference, Soil and Water Conservation Society (2002)
  • “Clean Air Requirements for Projects on Federal Lands and Native American Reservations,” CLE Conference, Los Angeles California (2001)
  • “Upcoming Particulate Matter Challenges and Research Needs,” University of California Air Quality Conference (2003)
  • “Intermodal Air Toxics Issues: Assessing Diesel Particulate Matter,” Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (2003)
  •  “Legal Considerations for Farmers Considering Carbon Sequestration Agreements,” Carbon as a Potential Commodity Conference, Soil and Water Conservation Society (2002)
  • “Clean Air Requirements for Projects on Federal Lands and Native American Reservations,” CLE Conference, Los Angeles California (2001)

Education and Clerkships

  • B.A., summa cum laude, Williams College, 1990
  • J.D., with honors, University of Chicago, 1993
  • Judicial Law Clerk, Judge David M. Ebel, United States Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado
  • District of Columbia
  • Many Federal District Courts, Courts of Appeals

Professional and Civic Activities

  • Regional Air Quality Council, Member (Appointed by the Governor in 2009)
  • City of Boulder, Open Space Board of Trustees, Vice Chairman and Trustee (2008 - Present)
    • Member, Greenways Advisory Committee
    • Volunteer Bat Monitor
  • Partners for Rural Improvement and Development in Ethiopia, Co-Founder and Counsel (2005 - Present)
  • United States Transportation Research Board, Subcommittee on Aviation and Climate Change, Chairman (2007 - Present)
  • General Accountability Office Expert Panel, FAA Airspace Redesign, An Analysis of the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia Project (2008) (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08786.pdf)
  • National Research Council, Committee on Developing an Environmental Design Tool, Member (2003 - 2005)
  • United States Transportation Research Board, Committee on the Environmental Effects of Aviation, Secretary and Member (2002 - Present)
  • City of Boulder Environmental Advisory Board, Chair and Member (2002 - 2007)
  • Colorado Lawyers Committee, Board of Directors and Education Task Force
    (1998 - Present)