Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 A Street and Road Contractor was excavating soil in an active intersection for the purpose of replacing storm water inlet boxes. During the course of the work the excavator overheated and caught fire. The ensuing fire severely damaged the excavator releasing its hydraulic fluids and diesel fuel. Water […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 A municipal garbage company maintained a contract with a public entity for waste pickup and composting services. While in the midst of loading waste from a dumpster on a commercial property, a container with an unknown liquid was encountered resulting in a spill from the insured’s vehicle onto […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 During construction of a new office building, an excavation contractor collected several tons of contaminated soil for off-site disposal. Unbeknownst to the driver of one of the dump trucks, the rear dump gate of his truck was ajar allowing soil to spill throughout the trip before being pulled […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 While working at a shopping center, an employee of a janitorial company inadvertently mixed ammonia and chlorine based cleaning products. The mixture resulted in a toxic cloud of ammonia chloride that caused respiratory distress in dozens of shoppers and a shut-down of the center for a period of […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 A redevelopment project was underway where all existing structures were being razed and the site was to be re-graded. During demolition activities, the General Contractor punctured an unknown heating oil tank. Residual heating oil was still located within the tank and was released when the tank was punctured. […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 A street and road contractor was engaged in a long-term re-construction project of a major highway. A nearby resident filed a lawsuit against all entities working on the project for damage to her home and bodily injuries allegedly from exposure to construction dust from the highway project.

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 During excavation of a trench for the installation of an underground pipe, the excavation contractor struck a 3-inch water line, resulting in the release of 30,000 gallons of water. The water ran to a storm drain and eventually to a local creek, causing increased turbidity, pH and chlorine […]

Source: Great American Environmental Division, May 2013 A General Contractor (CC) completed the construction of a senior care facility in 2009. The owners recent inspection revealed water intrusion and mold contamination throughout the building with damages expected to exceed $1.3 million. Experts were retained and inspections revealed multiple construction defects. $575,000 in damages were determined […]

Read here about the owners of a former paper mill site in Montana who are against designating the area as a Superfund site.

Read here about a Kansas pipeline company that has been sued by some residents over water contamination.  

Source: Times Record (Fort Smith, AR), May 24, 2013 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com Three lawsuits were filed this week in Sebastian County Circuit Court against Whirlpool Corp. seeking monetary damages for harm caused by a chemical that leaked into a nearby neighborhood. One lawsuit represents a trio of homeowners; another was filed on behalf of landlords […]

Source: http://www.lexology.com, May 17, 2013 By: David Erickson and Mark Anstoetter, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP A federal court in Wisconsin has ruled that a defendant in a cost-recovery action under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) failed to establish that the harm at issue was divisible and thus could not limit […]