Associated Press via The Washington Examiner (2/2/10)   A drilling technique that is beginning to unlock staggering quantities of natural gas underneath Appalachia also yields a troubling byproduct: powerfully briny wastewater that can kill fish and give tap water a foul taste and odor.  Read more.

Associated Press (1/25/10) via Advisen The federal government is gearing up for a project to remove contaminated soils from an Evansville neighborhood starting this spring.  Read more.

Associated Press (2/17/10) via Advisen Mountains of grimy snow piled in parking lots aren’t the prettiest sight in East Coast communities, but experts say leaving it there until the spring thaw is less toxic to the environment than dumping it into freshwater rivers, streams and creeks.  Read more.

 The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA (4/2/10) via Advisen On multiple occasions last year, untreated storm water from a north Spokane freeway construction site illegally spilled into Deadman Creek, a stream that flows into the Little Spokane River.  Read more.

Wall Street Journal (5/29/10) via Advisen The owners of a luxury condominium in Battery Park City are suing for $1.5 million in damages because they say the eco-friendly building isn’t green enough.  Read more.

An excavation contractor purchased pollution coverage for $8,000. The driver for purchasing coverage was encountering pre-existing contamination in soil on a project and realizing that there was no coverage in their General Liability (GL) policy for this risk. An electric contractor purchased pollution and professional coverage for $30,500. The reason for purchasing was a contractual […]

The construction manager of a construction, renovation and expansion project for a food distribution center hired an insured to construct and install a new refrigeration system at the facility. The insured was cutting a section of pipe when approximately 50 pounds of ammonia was released as a gaseous cloud inside the facility. It took over […]

XL’s construction specialty for the past 25 years has been to provide annually renewable pollution and professional liability insurance solutions for middle market contractors. XL has new and expanded family of insurance policies that provides pollution coverage at construction job sites as you would expect and also provides cradle to grave coverage such as: Contractor’s […]

Slate (04/19/10); Salmon, Felix Not all companies are taking proper steps to prepare for – and adapt to – the future effects of climate change. Many firms seem to focus solely on mitigating changes to the climate: reducing carbon emissions, improving environmental sustainability, and striving to be an enlightened steward of the planet. Adaptation is […]

CNet (05/18/10); LaMonica, Martin Recycling rates need to increase significantly to ensure the future supply of rare-earth and specialty metals, which are needed to power many green technology products, according to a United Nations Environment Program report. A UN committee has determined that the recycling rates for specialty metals are only about 1 percent, while […]

Mondaq (05/10/10); McAree, Marc Statutes and regulations involving the environment are increasingly being passed at the federal, provincial, and local levels of government. Such laws can affect requirements for corporate directors and officers, such as environmental offences for causing pollution; failing to report discharges and spills; non-compliance with orders, approvals, and permits; obstructing the regulator; […]

Wall Street Journal (04/28/10) P. A8; Wotapka, Dawn; McQueen, M.P. At least one Chinese drywall maker that produced tainted gypsum board now burdening U.S. homeowners with health issues and property problems has signaled its willingness to settle claims with American builders. The inferior material was brought in from China to replenish a shortage of domestic […]