Charlie Carter

Partner 

Earth & Water Law Group

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Charlie Carter represents clients in environmental regulatory and litigation matters before state, federal and local agencies. With over 40 years of experience, he has represented companies, governmental agencies, and private clients over a broad range of environmental regulatory programs, including permitting, rulemaking, compliance, and enforcement matters under the air, water and land use, solid and hazardous wastes, toxic substances, and coastal management programs. Significant matters include the landmark United States Supreme Court administrative law case, Chevron v. NRDC, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on EPA's NOx SIP Call, and the West Virginia Manufacturers Association on Clean Air Act Section 126 cases. In July 2021, Charlie was appointed to a third 4-year term on the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission, the agency that establishes rules and policy for the State's air, water, and waste resources. The Commission is a 15-member group of citizens appointed by the Governor and General Assembly. Charlie’s experience includes nine years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Associate Director of the Office of Congressional Liaison and Assistant General Counsel and Chief of OGC’s National Standards Branch. His EPA responsibilities included SO2 and PM SIPs and NESHAPs and NSPS rules with extensive appellate litigation and oral arguments before the federal District of Columbia, Second, and Third Circuit Courts of Appeals. He drafted Titles III and IV and other portions of the Bush Administration bill enacted as the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 for which he was awarded EPA’s Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. He was also awarded the agency’s Bronze Medal for the Benzene Hazardous Air Pollutant standards, which was enacted as the residual risk standard in Section 112(f)(2) of the 1990 CAA Amendments. Prior to EPA, Charlie was staff environmental attorney for Duke Power Company, Environmental Law Advisor for the Edison Electric Institute in D.C., and in private law practice. Following his EPA, Charlie has been in private practice with law firms in Washington, D.C. and North and South Carolina. Charlie is a member of the Bars of North Carolina, the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Fourth Circuits, and U.S. District Courts for North Carolina and the District of Columbia. Prior to his Juris Doctor at the University of North Carolina law school, Charlie earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (majoring in Electrical Engineering) at Duke University and served as a Design Engineer for the Sperry-Rand Corporation. Charlie has been selected by his peers for The Best Lawyers in America in Environmental Law for twenty years.