Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC was renovating an elementary school. During the course of work, dust from concrete cutting set off the fire alarms. Parents of students filed a claim against the general contractor for bodily injury due to fear of contracting silicosis. Although the GC was not held liable for causing a pollution […]

Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC used muriatic acid while performing concrete etching in a commercial building. The highly corrosive fumes from the acid were not properly contained and were released into the building damaging the newly installed chrome fixtures. As a result, the GC was responsible for $75,000 in property damages.

Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC removed lead-based paint from a commercial building. The contractor isolated the work areas with containment; however, the HVAC system was not disconnected. The dust generated from the lead removal operations clogged the heating coils of the HVAC system in the building. The contractor was liable for replacing the HVAC […]

Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC was renovating a municipal government building and did not properly contain the area to minimize seepage of fumes from materials utilized and emissions from gas-powered generators and equipment. Ten separate bodily injury claims were filed when employees complained of headaches, nausea and respiratory  problems due to unsafe air quality […]

Source: AXA XL Environmental A subcontractor improperly tied-in sewage piping during installation causing raw sewage to migrate into the underlying ground, contaminating a nearby water well. The general contractor was subject to defense costs exceeding $25,000 as well as property damage and bodily injury claims.

Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC installed new carpeting in an office building. One week after installation, the building owner informed the contractor that employees were complaining of headaches and dizziness. This was attributed to the odors from the new carpets. The general contractor could not prove that the manufacturer of the carpet or the carpet […]

Source: AXA XL Environmental A GC added a curing agent to a concrete utility trench it had poured. The curing agent emitted vapors containing xylene. When an employee at the facility entered the enclosure, he was overcome by the vapors, became dizzy, and fell into the trench, sustaining various injuries. The employee filed suit against […]

Source: https://www.wytv.com, March 29, 2019 Youngstown has 331 potential sites that store hazardous chemicals underground Next Tuesday, demolition will begin on an abandoned gas station in Brookfield, not only because it’s an eyesore but also because it’s a health hazard. But Brookfield isn’t the only area in the Valley that has an issue with old […]

Source: https://www.watertowndailytimes.com, March 30, 2019 By: Craig Fox After being in a holding pattern for 27 years, cleanup will begin next month on a 1.9-acre contaminated site of a former Niagara Mohawk manufactured gas plant on Engine Street. To be finished over three phases, the comprehensive cleanup to rid the site of contamination left by […]

Source: https://www.unionleader.com, March 29, 2019 By: Ryan Lessard Developers of senior housing and multi-tenant, mixed-use projects in Windham are unable to move forward until a water contamination issue is resolved. Hoping to better understand the scope of the problem, the state Department of Environmental Services has asked the town to complete a supplemental site investigation […]

Source: http://www.wtoc.com, March 25, 2019 Environmental officials in Texas confirm there are dangerous levels of chemicals in the channel waters around Houston after a dike wall collapsed during a re-ignited fire at the chemical plant in Deer Park on Friday. Intercontinental Terminals Co., the company that owns the plant, said flames breached the dyke wall […]

Source: https://www.lexology.com, March 18, 2019 By: Paul S. Danner, Goldberg Segalla LLP The New York Legislature is considering whether to enact a statute of repose that would limit the time for filing a claim against builders and design professionals for construction defects. Assembly Bill A3595 would repeal Civil Practice Law & Rules (CPLR) § 214-d […]