Christina M. Puhnaty

Area of Emphasis

Christina Puhnaty is an associate in the Environmental Group of Babst Calland. She assists clients with matters encompassing a broad range of environmental issues, including those related to state and federal permitting, regulatory compliance, and environmental litigation.

Ms. Puhnaty devotes a significant portion of her practice to advising clients on issues arising under the Clean Air Act and related state programs regulating air emissions. She handles air permitting matters and appeals and helps clients facing federal and state enforcement actions. Ms. Puhnaty’s practice also involves counseling clients on a variety of federal and state regulatory issues related to both coal and noncoal mining operations.

Background

Ms. Puhnaty graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017, earning a B.S. in Chemistry. While in undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant in Dr. Josef Werne’s biogeochemistry laboratory. As a member of Dr. Werne’s lab, Ms. Puhnaty assisted Ph.D. candidates in sampling aquatic sediments to investigate the biogeochemical record of global climate change.

Before attending law school, Ms. Puhnaty worked as an analytical chemist for PPG Industries in Allison Park, Pa. At PPG, she analyzed samples using microscopy and physical chemistry techniques. Ms. Puhnaty then drafted analytical reports to communicate sampling results to PPG customers.

In 2021, Ms. Puhnaty graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School. While at UW Law, she served as a Senior Managing Editor for the University of Wisconsin Law Review and was a recipient of the Gwynette E. Smalley Law Review Prize for special contributions. She was also the president of UW Law’s Environmental Law Society and served as a research assistant for then-Professor Linda S. Greene. During law school, she worked as a law clerk for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 5 office, the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Environmental Protection Unit, and the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Memberships and Affiliations

Ms. Puhnaty is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. She is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, Allegheny County Bar Association, American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resource’s Leadership Development Program, and Women’s Energy Network. Ms. Puhnaty also serves on the Women’s Initiative Committee at Babst Calland.

Publications/Presentations

• Co-Author, “The Future of Pennsylvania’s RGGI Rule Remains Uncertain,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 40, No. 2 (2023).
• Co-Author, “In Response to Environmental Groups’ Request, PADEP Declines to Issue Order to Shell Plant to Cease Operations,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 40, No. 2 (2023).
• Co-Author, “EPA Bets on Low-GHG Hydrogen and Carbon Capture & Sequestration Technologies in Latest Proposed Power Plant Clean Air Act Rule,” PA Law Weekly, June 8, 2023.
• Co-Author, “Litigation Surrounding Pennsylvania’s RGGI Rule Continues,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 40, No. 1 (2023).
• Co-Author, “EPA Doubles Down in Long-Awaited Supplemental Proposed Oil and Gas Methane Rule,” The PIOGA Press, December 2022.
• Co-Author, “Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Upholds Preliminary Injunction for RGGI Rule,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 39, No. 4 (2022).
• Co-Author, “Rulemaking Review Committees Disapprove Proposed Water Quality Standard for Manganese,” FRNEL’s Water Law Newsletter, Vol. 55, No. 3 (2022).
• Co-Author, “EPA Doubles Down in Long-Awaited Supplemental Proposed Oil and Gas Methane Rule,” Babst Calland Energy Alert, November 21, 2022.
• Co-Author, “EPA Publishes Proposed Rule Requiring All Major Stationary Sources to Account for Fugitive Emissions in NSR Permitting,” The PIOGA Press, November 2022.
• Co-Author, “EPA Publishes Proposed Rule Requiring All Major Stationary Sources to Account for Fugitive Emissions in NSR Permitting,” Babst Calland Environmental Alert, October 17, 2022.
• Co-Author, “PADEP’s RACT III Rule Requires Action from Major Sources of NOx and VOCs by End of Year,” PA Law Weekly, October 6, 2022.
• Co-Author, “EPA’s Proposed Changes to Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule Take on Greater Significance in ESG Era,” PA Law Weekly, August 4, 2022.
• Co-Author, “Preliminary Injunction Granted for RGGI Rule,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 39, No.3 (2022).
• Co-Author, “Pennsylvania Joins RGGI,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 39, No. 2 (2022).
• Contributor, “Commenters Raise Questions About EPA’s Methane, VOC Proposal,” The American Oil & Gas Reporter, April 2022.
• Co-Author, “Several Critical Legal Issues Emerge from Comments on EPA’s Methane Proposal,” The PIOGA Press, April 2022.
• Co-Author, “EQB Publishes Proposed Amendments to Anthracite Coal and Coal Refuse Disposal Regulations,” FRNEL’s Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 39, No. 1 (2022).
• Co-Author, “Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Producers Take Note: Five Key Changes in EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule,” The PIOGA Press, November 2021.
• Co-Author, “EPA’s Proposed New Oil and Gas Methane Requirements:  Where We Are and Where We Are Going,” Babst Calland Energy Alert, October 21, 2021.
• Co-Author, “PADEP Issues Draft Technical Guidance Regarding Synthetic Liners and Caps at Coal Refuse Disposal Areas,” RMMLF Mineral and Energy Law Newsletter, Vol. 38, No. 4 (2021).
• Author, Biden Administration: Ag Industry Can Help Combat Climate Change, State Bar Wis.: Env’t L. Section Blog (Mar. 8, 2021), https://www.wisbar.org/NewsPublications/Pages/General-Article.aspx?ArticleID=28264.