As California tries to maximize water supplies in these dry times, Coffee is helping agencies comply with quality standards as well as advising them on cutting-edge efforts to boost recycled water.
She has recently aided water agencies in Ventura County and San Jose in permitting pilot projects to test the feasibility of recycling wastewater back into clean drinking water.
"The drought and climate change and recognition of the long-term effects of climate change have brought a lot of these technologies to the fore," Coffee said.
But the challenge with such permitting is that the regulatory framework for recycled water is still being put in place, she said.
Coffee has also been helping the state push forward with its $64 billion high-speed rail project, working as special environmental counsel to ensure the project clinches the slew of required state and federal permits and complies with all environmental laws.
"Permits are only good for limited terms, so I work to help them phase their permitting ... to match it up with their funding and construction contracts," Coffee said.
She is currently advising the High Speed Rail Authority on its permitting strategy in the wake of its recent decision to prioritize connecting the Central Valley line first to the San Francisco Bay Area instead of Southern California.
"There is no such thing as a routine permit when you're dealing with protected resources such as endangered species or water," Coffee said.
Fiona Smith
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