Professional Experience
Clark Balfour has practiced law for over 35 years in the areas of environmental and natural resource law, as well as water rights, wastewater, surface water management and electric utility operations. Clark assists clients in obtaining water permits, including transfers, extensions and certifications, acquisitions and strategies. He also has significant experience in all Clean Water Act permit and compliance processes including NPDES permits, Section 401 water quality certifications, Section 404, industrial pretreatment and surface water management. Clark specializes in multi-party project agreements for ownership, design, permitting, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of major public infrastructure projects. The most recent example is the $1.6 billion dollar water system project for the Willamette Water Supply System consisting of the Tualatin Valley Water District and the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton. Clark has decades of experience in ratemaking, system development charges, budget, finance and day to day utility operations
Representative Work
- Drafted legislation that made it easier to locate utility facilities on EFU lands on behalf of the Special Districts Association of Oregon and the League of Oregon Cities.
- Served as counsel to the City of Hermiston in condemnation litigation to acquire an electric distribution system from an investor-owned utility.
- Assisted McMinnville Water & Light with NEPA issues related to increasing the McGuire Reservoir, including a successful defense in Federal District Court and Ninth Circuit Court proceedings.
- Formation of intergovernmental entities to allow individual government members to jointly own and operate public works, utilities, public safety and information technology projects.
Professional Activities
- Member, Oregon State Bar, Government Law, Real Estate & Land Use, and Environmental & Natural Resources Sections
- Past Member, Oregon State Bar, Government Law Section, Executive Committee
Community Activities
- Board of Directors, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue
- Past President, Special Districts Association of Oregon