Daniel J. Grucza

Daniel Grucza’s clients turn to him for advice on matters related to process safety management (PSM), occupational safety, environmental and transportation issues in petroleum, chemical and industrial manufacturing and mining. As a chemical engineer, former chemical plant EHS manager and in-house counsel, he possesses a wide-ranging perspective on matters relating to strategic operational efficiencies and corporate compliance.

Dan brings deep experience in the petroleum, complex chemical manufacturing, foundry, mining, gas and oil, pipeline and coking industries to Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.

He was senior counsel and vice president of a major energy company and has provided legal support for refineries, mines, gas operations, foundries, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers in the United States, Canada, China and Europe.

While Dan was seconded to a leading oil company, he was responsible for implementing new process safety regulations and managing incident response. He has also served as a corporate compliance officer and in that capacity was responsible for developing compliance programs, conducting training, conducting due diligence and responding to hotline complaints.

Dan’s strong chemical technical background complements his legal training and experience. As an environmental, health, and safety (EHS) manager for over 10 years for one of the world’s largest companies, Dan was responsible for the company’s EHS compliance, process safety management, risk management, security, wastewater treatment operations, auditing, training, hazardous materials transportation and the identification and translation of EHS best practices—experiences he frequently draws from while interacting with clients.

Education:

• JD, Faulkner University, cum laude, 2002
• MS, Industrial Engineering, Auburn University, 1994
• BS, Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 1982

Experience:

• Advised a major oil company on implementation of new California PSM and RMP rules at their California refineries.
• Advised a major oil company in internal investigation and response to agencies following a significant fire at a refinery.
• Successfully defended a major oil company in Cal OSHA enforcement actions.
• Advised Fortune 15 client in the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) and EPA’s Section 112(r) Risk Management Program (RMP) applicability determination,  program development, implementation and compliance.
• Successfully defended coking operation in an EPA/State multimedia inspection throughout the inspection and follow-up documentation request resulting in no major Notice of Violation or penalty.
• Active participation in internal Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) audits in development of policy, schedule, protocols, training of auditors, development of reports and corrective actions.

Member:

• Member, Environmental Law Section, Alabama State Bar
• Member, Environmental and Legal Committees, Manufacture Alabama Safety