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Thomas A. Bloomfield
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Thomas A. Bloomfield

Partner

  • Site Cleanup & Compliance|
  • Environmental Litigation|
  • Energy Transition and Climate Change|
Denver
303.825.6390C 303.907.4445
San Francisco
415.907.8704
tbloomfield@kaplankirsch.com
  • Overview
  • Representative Experience
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I routinely advise public and private clients on complex environmental disputes involving administrative law, public policy, and litigation ranging from large superfund cases to climate change and air quality matters. I am adept at deeply understanding not only the law, but the factual, technical and economic issues. This approach enables me to effectively advocate for and secure strong and durable outcomes for my clients. I work to develop collaborative solutions where possible by finding common ground without compromising the goals and objectives of my clients.

For nearly 30 years, Tom has successfully represented his clients on major Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and other contamination cases, brownfields, liability risk transfers, energy issues, climate policy, ozone and regional haze rulemakings, and oil and gas matters. He has deep experience advising clients on environmental remediation projects that deploy municipal drinking water extraction systems as to remediation groundwater contamination plumes, including cost recovery, grant funding, permitting and compliance with agency orders. He routinely negotiates and drafts consent decrees, environmental cleanup documents, and other environmental settlements. Throughout his career, Tom has advised clients on emerging contaminants, including PFAS, perchlorate, 1,4-dioxane, hexavalent chromium and other solvents.

Tom has played a pivotal role representing clients in some of the most significant air quality and climate change rulemakings in Colorado. These accomplishments include the first statewide rules to control methane from oil and gas operations which became a model for other states and EPA; numerous other oil and gas rulemakings, the groundbreaking Clean Air Clean Jobs Act rulemakings that integrated energy planning and environmental regulation to address regional haze, climate change and public health; the Colorado Regional Haze and Ozone State Implementation Plans; the state’s adoption of low emission and zero emission vehicle standards; performance standards for oil and gas production facilities; and climate standards for industrial and manufacturing facilities.

Representative clients include industrial and public entities, renewable energy producers, counties, cities and towns, utilities, the state of California, and several California state agencies.

Prior to joining Kaplan Kirsch, Tom served as an attorney with two other law firms and as an Associate Regional Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in San Francisco. While at EPA, Tom litigated and resolved some of the most significant, high profile CERCLA cases in the region.

Representative Experience

San Fernando Groundwater Cleanup. Representing a major utility regarding numerous large CERCLA response actions anticipated to remediate 1,4-dioxane, volatile organic compounds, and other chemicals present throughout the San Fernando basin in southern California, adversely affecting the beneficial uses of a critical source of drinking water at multiple large well fields.

Superfund Settlements North Hollywood Operable Unit (NHOU) Superfund Site. Representing a major utility to negotiate two groundbreaking settlements between the utility and Lockheed Martin and Honeywell International, Inc. in connection with the NHOU at the San Fernando Valley Superfund site.

Leviathan Mine Superfund Site. Represented multiple California state agencies in complex state environmental litigation concerning remediation of the Leviathan Mine Superfund site, an inactive sulphur mine discharging acid mine drainage into surface waters; work included prevailing on key motions and successful settlement of the case on the third day of a scheduled five-week jury trial (Atlantic Richfield Company v. State of California, et al., Case. No. BC380474, Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles). Currently representing water boards regarding implementation of the settlement agreement and other matters relating response actions at this Superfund Site relating to surface water, groundwater, mine waste and remedy selection, among other things.

River Mile Redevelopment. Represented Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park with respect to historic environmental contamination aspects of the planned River Mile redevelopment, located on river front parcels with a long history of industrial and other uses. Advised regarding an amendment of the existing 1992 Consent Agreement with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and associated site characterization and corrective action plans, negotiated with the City and County of Denver on cleanup approaches, secured environmental cost recovery through an agreement with a prior owner/operator and negotiated environmental insurance policies.

Lead Soil Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCUP). Representing a former mining town in southwest Colorado regarding an innovative town-wide VCUP program to address lead present in soil due to legacy mining activities, including the negotiation and drafting of VCUP documents, negotiation of funding terms with the potentially responsible party, and the drafting of changes to the town land use code to accommodate the needs of the VCUP program.

Rialto/Colton Perchlorate Litigation. Represented numerous parties in a ten-year lawsuit regarding perchlorate and other chemical contamination in the Rialto/Colton Basin in southern California; work included negotiation of a favorable settlement involving a precedent- setting order that protected clients from both contribution claims and CERCLA cost recovery claims continuing to advice client on compliance with cleanup and abatement order and implementation of settlement agreements arising out of litigation.

Solvent Release from Solid Waste Landfill. Representing client responding to a clean-up and abatement order for release of solvents allegedly from an unlined solid waste landfill unit, and providing advice regarding the implementation of settlement agreements that involve treating and serving affected groundwater.

Airport Groundwater Plumes. Representing an airport proprietor in southern California in connection with the investigation and cleanup of a large groundwater plumes involving 1,2,3 TCP and other contaminants.

Hazardous Waste Landfill Post Closure Management. Advising state regulatory agency on four RCRA hazardous waste landfills regarding post closure funding, litigation and related issues.  Advised regarding multiple CERCLA and RCRA cost recovery lawsuits against a large number of defendants in federal court and negotiated a series of consent decrees that secured funding and other commitments for long-term post closure and corrective action.

Resources and News

Awards and Recognition

Law Alerts

News

Presentations

Publications

  • Kaplan Kirsch Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2026 Editions

    Awards and Recognition | June 5, 2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America® Announces Lawyer Rankings for 2026, Firm Attorneys Included

    Awards and Recognition | August 21, 2025
  • Kaplan Kirsch Recognized in Chambers and Partners 2025 Editions

    Awards and Recognition | June 6, 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America® Announces Lawyer Rankings, Firm Attorneys Included

    Awards and Recognition | August 15, 2024
  • view all
  • Colorado Energy & Environmental Legislation – 2023 Year in Review

    Law Alerts | May 25, 2023
  • Colorado Energy & Environmental Legislation – 2026 Year in Review

    Law Alerts | June 21, 2026
  • Environmental Law Alert: EPA Proposes New PFAS Rules to Limit 2024 Nationwide Drinking Water Standards for PFAS

    Law Alerts | May 20, 2026
  • Environmental Law Alert – Firm Represents Advocates in Rulemaking Leading to Significant Reductions in Emissions from Oil and Gas Operations in Colorado

    Law Alerts | February 24, 2026
  • view all
  • Firm Helps Secure Favorable Result for Clients in Rulemaking to Support Colorado’s Air Quality Programs

    News | June 11, 2026
  • Environmental Defense Fund Successful in Case to Force New York to Implement Landmark Climate Law

    News | October 31, 2025
  • EPA Limits Its PFAS Drinking Water Standard to PFOA and PFOS and Delays Compliance Timeline to 2031Trump EPA Announces Major Actions to Combat PFAS Contamination

    News | May 16, 2025
  • Trump EPA Announces Major Actions to Combat PFAS Contamination

    News | April 30, 2025
  • view all
  • Long-Term Liabilities at Hardrock Mine Sites – Legal Risks and Management Strategies

    Presentations | February 25, 2026
  • 2023 Passenger Rail Law Workshop

    Presentations | November 06, 2023
  • Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell Attorneys Present at AAAE PFAS Workshop

    Presentations | April 6, 2021
  • Tom Bloomfield Presents Webinar on Settling CERCLA Cases

    Presentations | March 19, 2020
  • view all
  • Firm Attorneys Author PFAS Litigation Article for ABA

    Publications | September 29, 2021
  • Colorado Energy & Climate Legislation: 2021 Year in Review

    Publications | June 16, 2021
  • Policy Guidance for Identifying and Effectively Managing Perpetual Environmental Impacts from New Hardrock Mines

    Publications | October 15, 2010
  • The Topsy Turvey World of CERCLA – Unknown Law – Uncertain Science

    Publications | March 15, 2008
  • view all

Primary Sidebar

Practices

  • Brownfields
  • Climate Mitigation & Adaptation Projects
  • Electric Vehicles & Clean Transportation
  • Energy Regulatory Proceedings & Litigation
  • Energy Transition and Climate Change
  • Environmental Due Diligence
  • Environmental Impact Reviews
  • Intergovernmental Agreements
  • Litigation
  • Policy Strategies & Legislation
  • Public Lands & Conservation
  • Public Meetings, Open Records, and Participation in the Public Process
  • Water Resources

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Order of the Coif, 1992
  • B.A., Dartmouth College, cum laude, 1988

Bar & Court Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2003
  • California, 1993

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Central District, California, 2009
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, 2004

Organizations

  • Trustee and Treasurer, Dartmouth Association of Rocky Mountains (DARM) (2014 – Present)
  • Trustee, Congregation Har Hashem (2012 – 2016)
  • Member, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association (2009 – Present)
  • Advisory Board, The Trust for Land Restoration (2008 – 2015)
  • Member, Environment, Energy, and Resources Section, American Bar Association (2003 – Present); Vice Chair (2003 – 2008)

Honors

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Energy Regulatory Law, Environmental Law (2021-Present)
  • Chambers USA, Colorado, Environment – Band 2 (2021–Present)
  • Denver’s Top Rated Lawyers, Denver Post(2015)
  • S. EPA Bronze Medal for Commendable Service, Casmalia Resources Superfund Site (2003)
  • S. EPA National Superfund Team of the Year, Operating Industries, Inc. Superfund Site (2002)
  • S. DOJ Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Performance and Invaluable Assistance In Support of the Activities of the Environment and Natural Resources Division (2001)
  • S. EPA Federal Employee of the Year, Civil Law Enforcement Category, Federal Executive Board (Bay Area) (2001)
  • S. EPA Gold Medal for Individual Exceptional Service, Iron Mountain Mine Superfund Site (2001)
  • California Lawyer of the Year, California LawyerMagazine (2000)
  • U.S. EPA Gold Medal for Team Exceptional Service, Iron Mountain Superfund Site (1997)

Thomas A. Bloomfield's Projects

  • Colorado Clean Car Standards

    Colorado
  • Leviathan Mine Superfund Site

    California
projects that keep life moving®
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