Alex S. Polonsky

Partner

Alex Polonsky is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Energy Practice, focusing on energy and environmental law. His energy practice includes advising on all aspects of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing and litigation, including license renewal, power uprates, license transfers, decommissioning, enforcement proceedings, and whistleblower investigations. He is also an experienced litigator before the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards (ASLBs). Some of the cases he has defended in litigation before ASLBs include the construction application for a mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facility, the license renewal application for the Oyster Creek and Davis-Besse Nuclear Generating Stations, the license application for Yucca Mountain, the decommissioning plan for a former nuclear materials facility, and license transfer applications for nuclear plants. Mr. Polonsky is the co-author of the textbook Fundamentals of Nuclear Regulation in the United States. He also is an instructor for "Nuclear Regulation 101" training sponsored by Electric Utility Consultants Inc. (EUCI). Finally, Mr. Polonsky advises clients in nuclear export-related matters before the NRC, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Commerce.

Mr. Polonsky's environmental law practice includes advising energy clients on shale gas development, including water use restrictions and hydraulic fracturing regulation. He provided training on hydraulic fracturing regulation for the Energy Bar Association. He also advises clients on CERCLA, Safe Drinking Water Act, and NEPA implementation. He provides environmental due diligence support on energy transactions and in-depth technical reviews of soil and groundwater data to assist clients facing CERCLA litigation.

Mr. Polonsky also helps clients navigate investigations, whether from Congress, the NRC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  He currently is representing one energy client before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and has assisted with investigations another before the FERC and CFTC.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Mr. Polonsky clerked for the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP). He also worked for ICF Kaiser Engineers for five years, consulting with the government and corporations on CERCLA, RCRA, TSCA, and other environmental statutes and regulations. He has authored over 30 Phase I Environmental Assessments for government, industrial, and commercial properties located throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and conducted more than 20 Phase II Remedial Investigations and Feasibility Studies. As part of these studies, Mr. Polonsky supervised geologic assessments, characterization of surface soils, and delineation of contaminant plumes in soil and groundwater.

Mr. Polonsky is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York.