Meredith Crafton

Biography

Meredith Crafton is a passionate and committed advocate, dedicated to social justice and environmental protection. Meredith’s practice focuses on environmental protection as well as corporate and government accountability. She has managed a number of high profile multi-party lawsuits against large corporations, government agencies, and government contractors. Meredith has also contributed to large class action lawsuits against big banks. Prior to joining Mehri & Skalet, Meredith worked at Smith & Lowney where she represented individuals and nonprofits in cases under the False Claims Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, along with various whistleblower and consumer protection statutes. Before that, Meredith worked as the staff attorney and advocacy coordinator for Hanford Challenge, representing whistleblowers and working to further the safe and effective cleanup of our nation‘s most toxic nuclear waste site. 

Meredith earned her J.D. and Masters in Environmental Law and Policy, with a focus on energy law from Vermont Law School in 2012.

Meredith has advocacy experience under a variety of state and federal statutes, including the False Claims Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Freedom of Information Act, the Energy Reorganization act, and the Atomic Energy Act among others. Meredith has published a number of papers and book chapters on energy issues including energy justice, renewable energy policies, and smart grid implementation.  

Some of Meredith’s notable cases include: 

– Contractor Accountability at Hanford. Meredith has represented numerous Hanford workers with integrity and care as they exposed corruption at the Hanford Nuclear Site. Her clients were responsible for the combined recoveries of over $65 million dollars from government contractors and they received some of the highest Relator-share award percentages for intervened cases.

– Protecting Hanford Workers. Hanford Challenge and the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 598 brought this lawsuit because the Energy Department and private contractor were failing to protect Hanford workers from chemical vapors. After the lawsuit was consolidated with a similar suit filed by the State of Washington, the plaintiffs won a settlement that resulted in improved conditions for workers. 

– Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, et al. v. US Navy. We brought this case on behalf of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and Washington Environmental Council in collaboration with the Suquamish Tribe in response to the Navy’s scraping marine growth and toxic paint into Sinclair Inlet without protective measures or a permit. The State of Washington later joined this case and the parties achieved a settlement requiring the Navy to take remedial actions and not scrape other decommissioned ships directly into the water.  

– Waste Action Project v. City of Shelton was brought under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) citizen suit provision on residents to force the City of Shelton to clean up its old town dump. The C-Street Landfill contained dioxin and toxic sludge from residential dumping as well as timber and military industries in the area. The settlement required the City to work with the state Department of Ecology to begin cleanup of the notoriously toxic site.  

– Bill Green v. E.P.A. Repeat successful actions against EPA for failing to timely respond to Clean Air Act petitions filed by a Hanford environmental watchdog. 

– Tonnes v. Golden Eagle Farms. We brought claims under tort theories and as a citizen suit under the Clean Water Act and Shorelines Management Act on behalf of Everett residents for property damage caused by illegal development of agricultural fields. Settlement provides for repairs to property and other relief. 

In addition to being a lawyer, Meredith is also a proud mom, a world champion rope jumper, a circus performer, a local food advocate, and an outdoor adventurer. When not in the office, she is often playing in the mountains and rivers of the Pacific Northwest with her family.