In the past few years, there has been a big push for our society to be more environmentally conscious and businesses to operate in a more sustainable manner In many cases, an organization’s image depends on how it participates in the community and whether or not it operates responsibly

We have all heard the current news about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and its devastating effects on the environment, wildlife, and the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on the now-contaminated waters Thousands of people and companies have now been directly affected by this problem—the oil and gas companies, the contractors tasked with cleaning up the oil, contractors operating the robotic machinery being used to correct the problem, workers on drilling rigs, etc

Most agents are aware of the pollution exposures for their contractor clients and many are becoming familiar with Premises Pollution policies for commercial and industrial facilities However, Products Pollution for manufacturing risks still appears to be a bit of a mystery

There are many factors to consider when applying for storage tank pollution liability—whether or not it is aboveground or underground, specifics of the tank such as age, construction, contents, etc, and the state in which the tank is located

The self storage industry has been one of the fastest-growing sectors of the United States commercial real estate industry in the last 30 years There are now over 52,000 primary self storage facilities in the country, and in 2008 the industry had total sales in excess of $20 billion

Last year, the EPA released a list of over 40 “high hazard potential” sites around the country that contain coal combustion residuals, which are commonly referred to as coal ash This substance is a product of burning coal and is often stored in containment ponds or dams near electrical utilities

Access to the environmental insurance marketplace Simply put, this is one of the main reasons why agents from around the country work with environmental wholesale brokers to find environmental coverage for their clients

Many people are pushing toward a greener earth They are looking into alternative fuels, carpooling to work, and recycling more

In today’s market, a few million dollars of coverage is often not enough to adequately insure a business For many larger firms involved in complex projects, limits of ten to fifty million are becoming increasingly common

It is a misconception that the only people who have pollution exposures are those involved with hazardous substances Unfortunately, this is not the case

HVAC and Mechanical Contractors are faced with a unique challenge in today’s insurance market While they are traditional contracting risks, they have become the focus of growing pollution and mold related claims over the last several years

Landfills, transfer stations, recycling centers, water treatment plants, and other environmental facilities have unique risks and many of these types of organizations have an interesting set of pollution exposures to contend with Insurance packages to cover potential pollution claims come in a variety of configurations, but all give the benefit of the costs savings associated with shared limits