Our Professionals

Biography

With over thirty years of EPA enforcement experience covering nearly every federal environmental statute, as well as a one-year fellowship on Capitol Hill advising the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sally Mozley Dalzell is recognized as a national expert in Superfund and is a sought-after advisor on federal environmental enforcement policy and implementation. Throughout her career, Sally has worked with a wide variety of stakeholders with differing viewpoints, earning a reputation for fairness and demonstrating a willingness to challenge agency orthodoxy.

Throughout her tenure, Sally advised EPA’s political leaders and senior managers on complex matters of public importance. Examples include:

  • Closure of Red Hill Fuel Storage Tanks in Hawaii. While safeguarding Honolulu’s sole source drinking water aquifer, Sally co-led the drafting and negotiation of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 7003/Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) 1431 consent order for the closure of massive storage tanks, safely draining 104 million gallons of fuel.
  • Protective Restoration of Electric Power for Puerto Rico. Ensured through a Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance agreement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency reduced pollutants while restoring Puerto Rico’s electric power following a damaging hurricane.
  • EPA Administrator Decisions Resolving CERCLA Federal Agency Disputes. Advised several EPA administrators on resolving disagreements regarding ARARs, drinking water standards, radionuclides, missed deadlines, remedy selection, and institutional controls.
  • Legal Interagency Disputes at the Department of Justice. Developed strategies and legal positions on federal interagency legal disputes for successful resolution by the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. Legal disagreements included EPA’s CAA, underground storage tank, and cost recovery authority, the scope of RCRA 7003, and the National Priorities List listing.
  • Forest Service Aerial Spraying to Reduce Wildfires. Negotiated a Clean Water Act (CWA) agreement allowing the Forest Service to continue aerial spraying of fire retardant, protecting communities from wildfires while ensuring protection of water resources.
  • CERCLA Cleanups and Cost Recovery. Developed strategies to expedite CERCLA cleanups and enhance cost recovery.
  • Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS). Sally also has cutting edge experience in PFAS under several statutes and participated in the development of EPA’s PFAS strategies and associated rulemakings:
    • Clarification of the RCRA regulatory definition of hazardous waste ensuring corrective action reaches statutory hazardous wastes
    • CERCLA designation of PFOA/PFOS as hazardous substances
    • RCRA hazardous constituents listing
    • Cleanup/liability issues of airports, biosolids, and drinking water systems
  • Cyber Attacks at Drinking and Clean Water Plants. Developed guidance advising drinking water and clean water systems to reduce cyber vulnerabilities through enhanced risk and resilience assessments and emergency response plans under the SDWA, including basics such as:
    • Reduce exposure to public-facing internet
    • Conduct regular cybersecurity assessments
    • Change default passwords immediately
    • Develop and exercise cybersecurity incident response and recovery plans
    • Conduct cybersecurity awareness training

Experience

Sally served for over thirty years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spending her first 2.5 years in the agency’s Region 4 office (Atlanta) and 35 years in EPA headquarters in Washington, DC.

  • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)—cleanup, compliance, and cost recovery.
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)—underground storage tanks and hazardous waste compliance, imminent and substantial endangerment, and corrective action.
  • Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)—compliance, consecutive systems, cyber security, and imminent and substantial endangerment.
  • Clean Air Act (CAA)—stationary sources such as Title V and reciprocating internal combustion engine operation and emission exceedances, NESHAPS issues, and mobile sources such as military vessels.
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)—compliance such as exceedance of effluent limits and unpermitted discharges, uniform national discharge standards for military vessels, and PFAS permitting.
  • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—compliance such as PCBs in transformers and PCB cleanup at launch control centers monitoring missile silos and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) regarding state authorities.

Awards

  • Distinguished Career Service Award in recognition of distinguished and dedicated service to EPA protecting human health and the environment (2025)
  • Nancy Firestone Legal Excellence Award demonstrating extraordinary legal excellence in support of EPA’s mission (2024)
  • Silver medal for completing the Red Hill Administrative Order on Consent (2016)
  • Silver medal for holding the Army accountable at Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (2015)
  • Gold medal for the successful execution of the Tyndall Air Force Base CERCLA Federal Facilities Agreement (2014)
  • Gold medal for affirming appropriate oversight in the CERCLA Federal Facilities Agreement at Ft. Meade (2010)
  • Silver medal for Superior Service at the Weldon Springs Site (2006)
  • Numerous Bronze medals and Assistant Administrator awards

Education

  • College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. Bachelor of Arts in History.
  • University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, AL. Juris Doctor

Bar Memberships

  • District of Columbia
  • Alabama (inactive)
  • The United States Supreme Court